Legacy of the Sword Saint
by Wushy
Summary: A legendary soul reincarnates into a familiar blonde knight. Can destiny hold him down? Contains Xianxia elements.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything RWBY**

Rong Shan. Some called him sword saint. Others called him slaughterer. A name long lost in the minds of mortals. Some believe he had reached enlightenment and broken into the Heavens. Others believe that he'd simply died of old age from self-induced isolation.

***** Diyu(Netherworld) *****

On top of a mountain lies a humble hut, overlooking the cast cosmos. Vast arrays of colors, galaxies, and nebulae paint the background.

An elderly woman and a young man are sitting across from each other. Despite her age, her skin is free of wrinkles, her posture is full of grace, and her white hair runs like silk. It is quite obvious that she was quite the otherworldly beauty in her younger years. The young man sitting across from her looks rather ordinary. His brown hair runs down to shoulder length, and his height is neither short nor tall. His most standout feature are his eyes. Deep and dark, full of wisdom and age.

"Meng Po," the young man softly says. "Will you not grant me this favor?"

The elderly looking woman known as Meng Po sighs, "Rong Shan... There was such a bright future ahead of you, yet you chose to let it all go. If you'd wished, you would have easily broken through to-"

"I grew tired," Rong Shan gently interrupts. "What use is power and eternity if I'd already accomplished my goals?"

"Truly... What a shame," Meng Po shakes her head. "I'll only ask one more time. This is what you desire?"

Without a hint of hesitation, Rong Shan nods. "It is. I do not wish to let go of her memory."

Meng Po's eyes glimmer sadly and she waves away the cup of tea she'd prepared for Rong Shan.

"Very well," she says, then gestures to the edge of the mountain.

Rong Shan stands at the edge of the cliff and peers down at the swirling pools of light. Different worlds and planets flicker in and out of view. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, then leans forward to plunge down the mountainside.

Meng Po's appearance swirls and changes to a young woman with unmatched otherworldly beauty. Her soft eyes gaze down into the pools Rong Shan had dove into.

"May you find true fulfillment, Rong Shan," she murmurs to herself.

* * *

***** A Forest *****

A certain blonde knight jerks awake in the middle of a crater. Taking deep breathes, he looks around to take in the surroundings.

_'A forest...'_

He closes his eyes and crosses his legs, concentrating on organizing the surge of memories racing through his mind.

_'This boy's name is Jaune Arc. He'd impacted the ground at high speed and the cause was... being launched from a cliff? An initiation for Beacon Academy... Huntsmen...'_

One of his eyebrows raise curiously.

_'Weak in physical ability, but the intensity of his memories suggest inner strength within the heart. Unfortunate, yet admirable... Pass in peace, Jaune Arc. To repay the debt of merging with your body, I will carry your name in this life.'_

A rush of energy courses through his body. Though slightly alarmed at the sudden change, Jaune calmly concentrates and grabs hold of the foreign energy. Slowly, he circulates it through his muscles, organs, and bones, feeling them grow stronger with every pass. After less than a minute, the stream of energy begins to dwindle, and Jaune reopens his eyes.

_'That energy felt similar to qi, but it seems to automatically replenish from the body. Intriguing...'_

Jaune recalls the purpose of landing in this forest.

_'Find a partner and locate a relic, whatever that may mean.'_

Jaune glances down at his figure and peels away the remaining scraps of his armor. It would no longer be usable, as it had been completely destroyed from the impact. Near the crater's edge, Jaune locates a sword and scabbard in relatively good shape. He smoothly unsheathes Crocea Mors, causing it hum in the air.

_'Good sword. Near peak level by mortal standards.'_

His thoughts are interrupted by a beastly roar from his rear. Turning around, Jaune is faced by a large bulky bear-like creature covered in bone armor and glowing red eyes. Pawing the ground several times, the Ursa roars and charges at full speed. He widens his stance with the intent of testing his new body's capabilities, but he suddenly steps back.

A red and bronze spear whizzes past Jaune from the brush behind him and pierces deeply into the Ursa's right arm, rendering it useless. From the same brush, a young teenage girl with flowing red hair jumps out and kicks the Grimm's skull with both feet. As she kicks off from the head, she grabs her weapon's handle and lands in front of Jaune with her shield raised, demonstrating her intent of guarding Jaune. Meanwhile, Jaune watches with amused, yet, interested eyes.

_'I believe her name is Pyrrha Nikos. An interesting way of engaging with the enemy. I wonder how she compares to the other students?'_

* * *

Pyrrha takes a glance behind her at Jaune, checking to see if he is injured. She'd taken notice of his rather... unique form when free falling. She turns her attention back onto the Ursa in front. After taking a short moment to gauge it, she dashes forward towards its weakened side. The Ursa swings its left arm across to defend itself.

When Pyrrha reaches the Ursa's right side, she expertly steps and pivots on her front leg, twirling to its backside. With a quick slash of her weapon in xiphos form, the back of the Ursa's knees are cut. With the flick of her wrist, she switches to a reverse grip on her weapon and stabs it into the back of the incapacitated Ursa's skull, killing it instantly.

As the Ursa's corpse disintegrates into the air, Pyrrha flicks the black ichor off her weapon and makes her way back towards the blonde knight she'd saved. Her eyes gaze over his appearance.

_'His armor has been reduced to scrap metal, and his clothes are in rather bad shape. Did he not cover them with his Aura? Why does he look so nervous?'_

* * *

Jaune does his best to look nervous. After all, for all intents and purposes, he is a seventeen year old boy and should act as such.

_'Hmm, perhaps I should invest some time into practicing my facial expressions when I am alone.'_

"T-thank you for the assistance. Your name is... Pyrrha, right? My name is Jaune Arc," he holds his hand out.

Pyrrha's eyes brighten, then she enthusiastically grabs hold and shakes Jaune's hand.

"Well met Jaune."

She glances over him once again.

"Um... if you do not mind answering, why are your clothes and armor so damaged, while you look okay? Was your Aura not channeled through them?"

_'Aura...'_

Jaune rubs the back of his head and sheepishly laughs.

"I was rather nervous when we were launched from that cliff."

He brings his hand down and smiles, "Does this mean we are partners for the duration of this initiation?"

Pyrrha brightly smiles back.

"I suppose we are. Now, the only remaining objective is to retrieve a relic."

* * *

***** Later that afternoon *****

Jaune brings his shield up and deflects the claws of the Deathstalker, while Ren and Pyrrha sprint around to flank its sides. According to their plan, they shoot and cut at the base of its tail, causing it to lose tension and droop directly above its head.

"Nora!" Jaune calls out.

"On it!" Nora yells back before jumping onto Pyrrha's shield.

Timing their movements, Pyrrha launches Nora high into the air. At the very peak of the launch height, Nora presses a trigger, firing a blast from the back of her hammer and adding to her momentum as she falls. She spins forward rapidly with her hammer, then slams the Deathstalker's stinger directly into its brain, killing it.

"Yeah! That was awesome!" Nora cheers as she stands atop the Deathstalker's corpse.

Jaune chuckles to himself as he puts his shield away and sheathes Crocea Mors. He stands together with Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora as they watch team RWBY finish dispatching a Nevermore, its headless corpse now tumbling down a cliff.

* * *

Teams JNPR and RWBY excitedly make their way to the dorms, save for Jaune, who absentmindedly walks behind them, deep in thought.

_'That headmaster had quite the strange look in his eyes when he designated me as team leader. Does he suspect something? And more importantly, if he does, is he an enemy? There is also the issue with Aura, as I am unable to recall any knowledge of Aura from Jaune Arc's memories. This means that I will have to explore the possibilities of Aura and its nature in my own time. There is much I do not fully understand of this world.'_

"-aune. Jaune!"

Jaune looks up, blinking his eyes.

"Yes? I apologize as I was rather caught up within my thoughts."

"Well, stop that and help us make this important decision!" Nora exclaims.

Jaune tilts his head, "What decision?"

"You silly tortoise! We need to decide which side of the room we each sleep on!" Nora loudly sighs.

_'Excuse me?'_

Jaune sighs, "I don't particularly care. You three may decide amongst yourselves and I will take whichever spot is left."

In the end, Ren and Nora claim one side, while Jaune and Pyrrha are on the other. As the sun had set and they prepare for bed, Jaune rummages through his bags for sleeping clothes. When he pulls out a particular article of clothing, he fails to stifle a loud groan, catching the attention of the other three. They peer over the shoulder of their leader, seeing his hand tightly gripping a Pumpkin Pete onesie.

Jaune blankly stares at the abomination in his hand.

_'If this was not a gift from Jaune Arc's sister, it would have already been set ablaze. I would rather die than be caught wearing this...'_

"Hmm, this thing needs a wash so I don't be able to wear this," Jaune nods. "Unfortunately, it will need to be stored in my closet. Indefinitely."

He promptly shoves the onesie into the very back of his closet and grabs a normal shirt and shorts to change into. Ignoring the stares from his teammate, he crawls into his bed with his back turned towards them.

"Good night everyone."

Pyrrha fails to suppress a snort, prompting Nora to roar with laughter, while Ren smirks from the side in amusement.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing RWBY related**

Jaune's eyes open and he silently slips out of bed. It is early morning and the sun had yet to rise. Dressing himself in loose training clothes, he collects Crocea Mors and exits the dorms. He walks for several minutes until he comes across a hidden grass field with enough space to adequately train. He'd noticed this area when they were walking to the dorms after the initiation ceremony.

He strolls to the center and sits down with his legs crossed. Then, he places Crocea Mors across his lap and closes his eyes. As he focuses on his breathing, he can feel himself connecting deeper with the world and his mind. Soon, he slips into a state of deep meditation.

There is nothing but himself and the traces of that energy similar to qi, now identified as Aura. He mentally grabs hold of the Aura and circulates it through his meridians, tempering his muscles, bones, skins, and organs. Meanwhile, he delves deeper towards the source of this power, venturing closer and closer to his dantian, above his navel. As he's about to cross the threshold into his dantian, an invisible force pushes him back.

_'This is? My dantian is blocked?'_

Concern ripples across Jaune's eyes as his mental eyes gaze across the void representing his body and soul. In a distant recess of his mind, he notices an anomaly. A structure he could only identify as an enormous Paifang, an architectural gateway, bordering on the invisible boundary of his dantian. The Paifang is evenly split down the middle.

From the left, Jaune feels a constant pulsing of energy, like a heartbeat. On the right, the structure looks as if a permanent shadow had been cast upon it. He approaches the left half and places a palm on one of the pillars.

_'This feels vaguely familiar. As if this is something I've always had. It feels... right.'_

He removes his hand and places it on the right half of the Paifang.

_'Cold, yet I can feel an unbridled strength hidden within. It does not resonate with me as the left half does, yet, it is represented as the matching pair to complete this Paifang...'_

Jaune presses both hands against the boundary and pushes with all of his strength, but there is not the slightest give to the invisible barrier. With a deep sigh, his eyes reopen to the outside world.

_'If my dantian is blocked, that means that I am stuck with body tempering. This is not ideal... but I will have to make do with what I have available to me. I will have to spend any extra free time in resolving this mystery as top priority. Otherwise, I will not be able to guarantee my own safety.'_

He reaches into his pocket and checks the time on his Scroll.

_'I have some time to spare. Let us see this body's capabilities.'_

Jaune stands up and smoothly draws Crocea Mors from its scabbard. The blade seems to glow as it reflects the light from the rising sun. He casually swings the blade down to his side in a neutral stance, causing the grass to sway from the force of this action.

Taking in a single swift breath, Jaune initiates a standard routine for sword practitioners. With practiced precision, he begins with a series of stabs, slashes, parries, and blocks, caring more for accuracy than speed. As he grows more comfortable with the movements, he incorporates complex footwork and increases his tempo, until eventually, a miniature hurricane of blades rages in the center of the grassy field. This continues for 20 minutes until he slows down to a stop with sweat soaking through his training clothes. A long wisp of air escapes Jaune's mouth as he breathes out.

_'Just how long has it been since I've done this routine? How nostalgic and invigorating.'_

Though breathing heavily, each breath is taken with full control.

"My stamina could use some work," Jaune murmurs. "Only 20 minutes at full capacity."

He sheathes the blade back into his scabbard and makes his way back to the dorms.

* * *

Team RWBY and JNPR burst into a classroom. They are late by 5 minutes.

_'For someone to be so stubborn when waking up,' _Jaune mentally sighs at Nora.

He and Ruby apologize to the professor for their teams' tardiness and quickly find their seats.

Morning class quickly concludes, and the students make their way towards the location of their next lecture.

_'Aura is the power of the soul... And a Semblance is a power said to represent the user's soul? This would verify that the energy I am feeling is indeed Aura. However, what the Paifang represents remains unexplained. I suspect that this is a situation unique to myself.'_

"Jaune, we've arrived for Professor Port's class."

The vast majority of the students do not pay attention to Port's lecture, as he continues to ramble about his various adventures. Unlike most, Jaune finds the man's lessons to be rather useful. After filtering out the useless information, what is left are detailed accounts of the various types of Grimm and how to efficiently deal with them. As such, Jaune is among the few who writes down extensive notes.

Port is no idiot, and can clearly see those who are paying attention and those who are not. A certain blonde catches his attention.

"Ah... Mr. Arc. I see that you've put in the effort to take rather extensive notes during my lecture. Would you like to take the opportunity to demonstrate that knowledge to the class?"

He presses a button under his desk, opening a section of the floor and bringing up a cage. A deep growl is heard from within its confines. A Grimm.

Feeling slightly annoyed, Jaune pushes himself onto his feet and makes his way down to the front of the class.

_'You did not really give me the option to refuse...'_

"Are you prepared?"

Jaune nods.

In response, Port kicks the cage open and a medium sized Ursa claws its way out. Those in the crowd glance at each other nervously.

"An Ursa?! Is the Professsor mad?" Weiss exclaims. "A Boarbatusk or Beowolf I could understand, but Ursa are one of the more dangerous Grimm found near Vale!"

Jaune quietly observes the Ursa pawing at the ground, preparing to charge. He gives the audience a quick glance, namely the expressions of his team and RWBY's.

_'They do not have the highest of hopes for me. Hmm... obviously I will dispatch this Ursa, but I must also take care not to reveal too much. If I pretend to struggle too much, they will think I am weak, which will have its own set of annoying consequences. After all... the strong will prey on the weak and I am not foolish enough to think this world is an exception.'_

The Ursa roars and kicks off its hind legs into a full blown charge. Meanwhile, Jaune remains in place showing no intention of moving out of the way.

"Jaune! Move out of the way!" Ruby yells.

Pyrrha tightly grips her desk, though she trusts that Professor Port would interfere should it get dangerous for Jaune.

The Ursa reels its head back and opens it maw, revealing its razor sharp teeth. As it lurches forward to bite down on Jaune's neck, his hand blurs into motion and quickly shoves half of his scabbard into the creatures open mouth. With a simple press of a button, the scabbard rapidly expands into shield form, tearing through the Ursa's head, leaving only its lower jaw intact.

Unfortunately for the class, black ichor splashes across the entire classroom, but Jaune remains untouched by the substance. As the Ursa corpse collapses into a heap, Jaune switches his shield back into its scabbard form and calmly secures it to his waist. Save for the sound of someone vomiting in the background, the students stare with wide-eyed silence.

"Ehem," Professor Port clears his throat. "Well well, Mr. Arc. That was quite a... unique method of dispatching the Ursa, but points to you for being resourceful with your equipment. Class, I would strongly suggest that each and every one of you take note of how Mr. Arc handled that situation. Class dismissed."

The student rustle with movement and they mutter amongst each other of how Jaune had dispatched the Ursa with minimal effort.

Jaune waits outside of the classroom for RWBY and his team, before heading towards their next class.

"Where did you get the idea to use your shield like that?" Pyrrha asks curiously.

"A spur of the moment decision," Jaune chuckles. "I was rather lucky that Ursa was so predictable."

"A spur of the moment?" Weiss rolls her eyes. "You blew chunks of Ursa across the entire classroom! It's a good thing Grimm disintegrate upon death!"

"It should be noted that combat class is next. Don't go sticking your scabbard into your classmate's mouths," Yang teases with a grin.

"Ew, Yang," Ruby makes a disgusted face.

"That was indeed quite a distasteful joke," Ren comments.

* * *

"Jaune Arc vs Cardin Winchester"

_'He looks rather average in ability. It should not be a problem.'_

Cardin shoves Jaune on the shoulder as he passes by.

"Get ready to feel pain," he growls.

_'Did I perhaps offend him in some way? It would seem that I spoke too soon.'_


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing RWBY related**

Cardin arrogantly smirks as he hefts his mace onto his shoulder. At the opposite side of the arena, Jaune stands in casual neutral posture, making no move or intent on drawing his weapon.

Glynda presses a few buttons on her Scroll, extracting the contestants' status and displaying them above on a large screen. When she does, a wave of mutters and whispers ripple through the students who are watching. Glynda narrows her eyes at the displayed information, then suspiciously looks at Jaune.

"Mr Arc. Would you care to explain why your Aura is in the red?"

_'What?'_

Jaune looks down at his Scroll, verifying that his Aura was indeed reading at about 10%. His mind races to explore the possible explanations. He looks back up at Glynda with an innocent and confused expression.

"I do not have the slightest clue Professor Goodwitch. Honestly, I feel completely fine."

Cardin loudly scoffs, "I bet that your Aura is so weak that the system can only barely register your levels. That would also explain why you took down that Ursa the way you did. Your weapon did all the work."

_'He is abnormally antagonistic towards me. Up until now, I did not even know someone named Cardin Winchester exists.'_

Jaune raises an eyebrow at Cardin's comments.

Glynda sighs and adjusts her glasses.

"Mr Arc. I can not let you participate with a clear conscience regardless of how you feel. Go back up to the stands, then see me after class."

_'...'_

"Of course, Professor Goodwitch," Jaune politely nods.

Cardin crudely laughs, "Lucky you Jaunie! Go hide behind your team!"

Back up on the stands, Jaune whispers to Pyrrha, "Do you know why that Cardin fellow is behaving like that towards me?"

Overhearing his question, Yang leans in with a grin.

"Remember that Ursa you killed in Port's class? Some of the Grimm goop landed right in Cardin's mouth. Made him vomit!"

Unable to resist, Yang barks with laughter, triggering the others in their vicinity to join. Several stands away, Cardin glares at Jaune.

"Thank you Yang, for making it worse," Jaune sighs.

"No problem-o," Yang grins.

"So, do you really not know why your Aura is reading at such low levels? You are not exhibiting any symptoms of Aura exhaustion," Pyrrha asks.

"I've not the slightest clue," Jaune responds. "Perhaps it is a glitch with my Scroll. I will be meeting Professor Goodwitch after class anyways, and hopefully get this sorted out."

* * *

***** After class *****

"Please follow me, Mr. Arc," Glynda curtly says.

An awkward silence falls between them as they make their way towards Beacon Tower. Once they step into the elevator, Jaune finally asks, "Professor? Where are we going exactly?"

_'Suspicious.'_

The elevator stops and dings, indicating they'd arrived at their destination.

"You'll see in a moment. Come, follow me." Glynda briskly steps out from the elevator. "Please leave your weapon here."

Jaune slightly narrows his eyes, but complies, leaving Crocea Mors by the elevator door. He follows Glynda through a large office door.

"Professor Ozpin," Glynda announces. "I've brought Jaune Arc."

_'Ozpin? The headmaster.'_ Jaune pauses for a moment, before following Glynda into the office.

"Excellent. Thank you, Glynda." Ozpin gestures to a chair. "Please, take a seat Mr. Arc."

Jaune decides that complying is the best course of action. For now.

Ozpin picks up a steaming mug on his desk and takes a sip. He then leans forwards, resting his elbows on the desk's surface.

"Do you know why you were brought here?"

Jaune's mind races through his memories.

_'Do they know? How could they? This world seems to operate without the knowledge of cultivation. Wait... fake transcript... shit.'_

"I don't know, sir," Jaune shakes his head.

"Hmm," Ozpin's eyes narrow. "To be quite frank, Glynda and I have good reason to believe that you are not who you claim to be."

Jaune's eyes widen.

_'So this **is **__about the transcripts. Did they know from the start?'_

Jaune decides that admitting to the crime would be much less painful. At this point, he can only hope that his honesty would lessen the punishment. Though losing his spot in Beacon would cut him off from vast knowledge, it is far better than being sent to prison.

He sighs, "Okay. You've caught me red handed. I admit-"

Jaune pauses, finding himself restricted by an invisible force.

"Is this not a bit of an overreaction?" He carefully asks.

"No, I do not think so, imposter," Glynda coldly responds. Her riding crop is pointed directly at Jaune.

Ozpin stands up from behind his desk and tightly grips his cane.

"You have exactly five seconds to answer my question before Glynda crushes you to death. Who are you?" Ozpin demands.

Jaune quickly responds, "My name is Jaune Arc. Everything else on those transcripts are fake, but the name is real."

An awkward silence fills the room.

"What?" Glynda and Ozpin display genuine expressions of confusion.

_'What the hell? It's not about the transcripts?' _Jaune's eyes widen.

"Um... Please forget anything I said about fake transcripts? I was joking."

Ozpin finally breathes out heavily and sits back down into his chair.

"No. We were well aware of Jaune Arc's fake transcript from the very beginning... At this point, it may be easier to just show you. Glynda, please keep our guest secured."

The headmaster reaches into his desk and presses several buttons. A holographic screen appears at the center of the office. As Jaune silently observes, he silently circulates qi/Aura through his body, just in case he needs to attempt an escape.

"Tell us whether or not our reactions are warranted after watching the following footage."

The footage reveals a section of the Emerald Forest. All is calm, until a blur shoots past the hidden camera and crashes into the ground at maximum velocity. As the dust and debris settles, a crater comes into view. In the center lays a bloody, mangled body that vaguely resembles a human. Broken bones jut through the skin and the limbs are bent at impossible angles. It would not take a genius to conclude that this individual was very much dead.

_'This is not good...'_

Then, the corpse suddenly begins to glow. Bones snap back into place, and the splattered blood recedes back into the body as if time were flowing backwards. After a few short moments, all signs of damage disappears, and the body's chest begins to rise and fall. The boy's eyes snap open and he looks around in confusion, before sitting down in meditation. The footage stops.

Jaune remains silent and mentally weighs his options. He does not stop rotating his qi as Ozpin's intentions are not yet clear.

"And what is your conclusion based off of this footage?" Jaune slowly asks. "Earlier, you asked who I am. Are you implying that I am not Jaune Arc?"

Ozpin's eyes grow sharp.

"I have met Jaune Arc in the past when he was a younger boy, and I can say with certainty that **you** are not he."

_'He is thoroughly convinced that I am not Jaune Arc, and at this point, nothing I say will sway him. Lying would do nothing but dig a deeper grave... However, it is strange that Jaune Arc's memories have no recollection of ever meeting Ozpin...'_

He finds himself between a rock and hard place.

Jaune sighs, "Fine... it is as you suspect. I am not the original Jaune Arc you seem to be so familiar with."

"So who are you?" The sharpness in Ozpin's eyes do no disappear. "Reincarnation?"

Glynda softly gasps from the side.

_'He is familiar with the concept of reincarnation?'_

"I suppose in a sense, it is reincarnation. As for who I was, it is none of your business," Jaune finishes sharply. Despite being restrained, he does not show fear.

"Then... are you an enemy?"

Jaune laughs, "Whether I say yes or no, you will doubt my answer. How about this instead?"

He tilts his head up to the Heavens and recites, "I swear upon the Three Realms and the Heavens that I am not an enemy of Beacon Academy, so long as Beacon and its entities do not intend mortal harm upon me. May the Heavens smite my soul should this oath be broken!"

The air around them seems to rumble in response to Jaune as he feels the oath take hold. Glynda and Ozpin exchange confused looks. The Three Realms? The Heavens? What was that otherworldly rumbling?

Jaune notes their expressions.

_'They are not aware of the existence of Heavenly oaths, which means my suspicion is correct. At the very least, the existence of the cultivation way is unknown to the vast majority of Remnant. This is especially odd, considering that I can sense a hint of divinity from Ozpin.'_

"There is common saying that actions speak louder than words. Why don't you try for yourself Ozpin? Utter the same words as I'd just done, but swear not to intend harm upon me so long as I uphold what I've promised with my oath."

"Excuse me?" Ozpin raises an eyebrow.

"Just do it," Jaune sternly says.

After a pause, Ozpin says, "Very well... I swear upon the... Three Realms and the Heavens... that so long as this individual in front of me upholds his oath, I will not willingly bring harm upon him. May the Heavens smite my soul should this oath be broken."

Once again, the air rumbles, and Ozpin shudders as the foreign sensation of the Heavenly oath take hold upon his soul.

_'What was that sensation?'_ Ozpin's eyes widen. There is a strong urge within him telling him not to harm Jaune, else he would come to regret it.

"That was a Heavenly oath," Jaune says. "Now, we are bound by our respective oaths. Should either of us break it, the offender's soul will be erased from existence. You should know by now that I speak the truth."

Jaune smiles at Ozpin, sending a shiver down his spine.

"You can feel it can't you? The constant voice in the background urging you not to break the oath?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ozpin carefully asks, "You're not going to require Glynda to do the same, are you?"

Jaune shakes his head, "She could not even if she wanted to. The Heavenly oaths have no effect on those considered mortals. Otherwise, you can see how they would be easily abused?"

Ozpin's hand tightens around his cane.

_'Is he like Salem? Or myself?'_

"Would you care to explain? Are you implying that you are immortal?"

Jaune gives Ozpin a strange look.

"No, of course I'm not immortal. Just because one is not mortal does not mean he/she is immortal. It is not a binary matter such as mortal and immortal. There is a vast spectrum. For example, humans are naturally limited by around 100 years of life. Someone who transcends that limit would be considered to be non-mortal."

Ozpin looks rather unconvinced, and Glynda reflects a similar look. As far as Ozpin is aware, his case is rather unique due to the direct workings of the God of Light, while Salem's was a curse inflicted upon her by both the Gods.

"And... how would one transcend such a limit?"

"Through a practice called cultivation. To put it simply, practicing cultivation allows one to break through their mortal restrictions, granting increased lifespan and strength. The mortal realm is called _Houtian_, and those who become stuck in this realm will likely slightly surpass the 100 year limit, but is still within the realm of reasonable for normal human age. When a Houtian practitioner successfully breaks through to _Xiantian, _is when you can call one to surpass human possibility."

"I... am having a difficult time following. Cultivation? Houtian? Xiantian?"

Jaune sighs, "Just consider Houtian as super-human. While, Xiantian is beyond human."

"As for cultivation itself, I'm rather surprised that it is not common practice. For a world to have zero knowledge of it is nearly unheard of."

"Then are you a so-called Xiantian?" Ozpin asks. "That is what you call non-mortal realm, correct? That is why you are able to swear the oath?"

"I have barely taken my first steps into Houtian," Jaune responds. "The reason why I am able to take the oath is due the Heaven's deeming my memories beyond mortal boundaries. As for yourself... I'm sure you know why you're able to take the oath."

Glynda's mouth drops in shock. Jaune had just casually uttered one of Ozpin's greatest secrets.

Ozpin visibly flinches at Jaune's comment.

_'He knows, or at the very least, has an idea of my true nature. That is why he so confidently told me to take the oath. One was in part to verify his suspicion and the other was to protect himself. This man is extremely cunning... Despite the oath, there is no telling if he truly is an enemy or not.'_

"Why is your Aura reading in the red?"

"I am not sure," Jaune calmly responds. "Perhaps it is related to my reincarnation."

_'Though I have my suspicions, I will be keeping those thoughts to myself...'_

"I see," Ozpin quips before taking a sip of his coffee. "Glynda, let him go."

She flicks her riding crop, undoing her Semblance.

Jaune rolls his neck and casually asks, "So what now?"

Ozpin leans back into his chair.

"Your existence is not something anyone could have predicted. But... it would be foolish to not adapt to the situation and take advantage. I'm curious. What are your goals?"

Jaune simply smiles, "For now, I'd like to enjoy my life as a seventeen year old boy."

Ozpin sighs, "Very well. You're free to leave Mr Arc."

With a nod, Jaune stands and turns to leave. He does not stop rotating his qi until he reaches the bottom of the tower.

"Professor, is he trustworthy?" Glynda asks worriedly. "Would it not have been safer to imprison or eliminate him?"

"Perhaps you're right," Ozpin's expression turns serious. "But doing so would mean we are content with our current situation. Also, that is no longer an option due to the oath I'd carelessly taken. The silver lining is that in a twisted way, he is trustworthy, and we need not worry that he intends to brings ruin to Beacon. However, do not let his appearance fool you, for I suspect that he is even older than I."

Glynda's eyes widen. From what Ozpin had told her, Qrow, and few select others, Ozpin's true age should range in the thousands!

"Would... you like me to keep a constant eye on him?" Glynda asks.

"Keep an eye on him when you can, but avoid outwardly spying on him. If at all possible, I'd like to be allied with him."

Ozpin's eyes grow tired.

"I can only hope that this is not a mistake..."


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing RWBY related**

The rest of Jaune's day concludes without further incident, along with the next several weeks. He falls into a comfortable daily routine: morning training and meditation, though he makes little headway with regards to the Paifang, classes, then spending time with RWBY and his team.

For him, life was good and comfortable. For the most part, at least.

Once a week, combat class would take place, headed by Glynda. It remains particularly annoying for Jaune as Cardin's obnoxious voice had grown grating over the past few weeks. What makes it worse is Glynda's refusal to put Jaune into the arena, claiming that the issue with his Aura readings would put him in danger.

What utter nonsense. Obvously, Glynda fears that Jaune may accidentally maim or kill whoever is he matched up against.

Jaune crosses his arms against the railing and rests his head on them, completely bored of watching these children fight. Aside from his own team members and RWBY, the rest were painfully average, though in Jaune's eyes his friends have their share of issues with their combat styles.

_'These children focus much too heavily on flashy moves while sacrificing substance...'_

* * *

Jaune mindlessly pokes at his lunch with his fork, pondering about the status of his Paifang. Its mystery and purpose has been plaguing his mind constantly for the past several weeks.

A sudden hostile change in mood at the table grabs his attention and he looks up. His team and RWBY are all directing their gaze at something behind him, and whatever it was did not make them happy.

"That must really hurt," Ruby sympathizes.

"That... asshole!" Yang grits her teeth and clenches her fist, bending her fork at a 90 degree angle.

Blank makes no comment, but her narrowed pupils and raised hair speaks volumes.

_'It continues to boggle my mind that no one has yet to figure out Blake is a Faunus...'_

Jaune allows curiosity to get the better of him and turns his head at the scene behind him. Several tables away, Cardin can be seen tugging on a rabbit Faunus' ears while mockingly laughing with his team.

When Jaune gets a good look at the Faunus girl's face, he feels his body go cold.

_'Ying Yue...'_

Jaune abruptly stands up, shaking the table and grabbing the attention of those around him.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asks with concern.

"Ying Yue..." Jaune whispers to himself.

_'Ying Yue? Is that a name? What language is that?' _Pyrrha wonders.

Paying no attention to the looks he's receiving from his table, Jaune strolls towards the source of the commotion. His eyes narrow and grow cold as he nears.

Cardin tugs hard on Velvet's ears.

"See? What'd I tell you guys? They're totally real!"

"What a freak!"

"Ow! That hurts! Please let go..." Velvet whines.

A hand suddenly grips down on Cardin's offending arm.

"Let go," a chilly voice calmly commands.

Cardin looks down at his arm, then up at Jaune. He scoffs and tightens his grip around Velvet's ears, causing her to yelp in pain.

Giving no further warning, Jaune clenches his hand, crushing down on Cardin's arm. He lets go of Velvet's arm due to the pain.

Jaune tosses Cardin to the side like a ragdoll. He looks down on the rabbit Faunus, and his eyes soften as he glances over her features.

_'Her voice, eyes, nose, and ears. They are so similar to Ying Yue...'_

Jaune sighs.

_'I let my emotions get the better of me.'_

"You're a dead man Jaunie!" Cardin yells before pulling a fist back.

Without giving him a glance, Jaune catches his fist and pushes him back with a single hand.

_'What kind of fool yells out before attacking?'_

"Combat class. We will settle it there," Jaune calmly says.

Cardin blinks once, then cruelly grins.

"You said it now. With everyone here who'd heard your challenge, there's no running away."

Jaune ignores Cardin's taunts, currently preoccupied with staring at Velvet.

Scowling, Cardin spits on the ground and storms out of the dining hall with his team.

"Fucking Faunus lover."

_'Brother! Look what I can do!'_

Jaune's eyes gaze into the distance, reliving old memories.

An 8 year old girl appears out of thin air next to Jaune. Her long brown hair flows gracefully in the wind, and she looks up at him with a starry eyed grin.

_'Wasn't that amazing! I came up with it myself. Aren't you proud of your little sister? Praise me!' _She giggles.

"Jaune!"

Jaune snaps back to reality, finally noticing that Pyrrha had called for him repeatedly. The members of JNPR and RWBY stare curiously at him, while Velvet fidgets nervously.

He gives them a small smile.

"I was distracted. Just pondering..."

_'That wasn't just pondering...'_ Ruby and Yang exchange looks. The expression on Jaune's face is one they'd seen on each other's countless times.

"I apologize for making you uncomfortable," Jaune politely says to Velvet. "Are you okay?"

"U-um... yes! Yes I'm fine! Thank you for the help!" Velvet gives a nervous smile, then feigns a look a surprise. "Oh look, there are my teammates. Goodbye!"

With a flushed face, Velvet bolts towards the dining hall entrance.

"What an intriguing little rabbit," Jaune smiles.

Blake silently watches Jaune with some interest. Normally, when humans referred to Faunus' animal traits, there is malice or mockery. But there was none of that with Jaune. Rather... his tone seemed endearing?

_'He is an oddity.'_

"You sure it was a good idea to challenge Cardin like that, vomit boy?" Yang asks with a grin.

"You think I will lose?" Jaune asks.

"Well... seeing how you handled him like that just now, probably not. But to be fair, no one's seen you in action. Emerald Forest was a team effort, and though Cardin is a complete ass, he has a point about your victory in Port's class." Yang shrugs. "But honestly, I just want to see a good fight."

"Cardin is a brute, but in terms of the class ranking, he is above average," Weiss points out. "By no means is he a weakling."

"I think Jaune will do just fine," Pyrrha voices her support.

"We should hold a bet!" Nora exclaims. "Think about how much Lien we'll make!"

"Nora," Ren starts, then reconsiders. "Actually... that is not a bad idea."

"That means I can buy more parts for Crescent Rose," Ruby drools. "I'm in."

Weiss facepalms.

***** After lunch *****

Jaune steps into the Beacon Tower elevator and presses the button for Ozpin's office. Once he arrives at the top, he glances at the camera above the door, raising an eyebrow. The doors unlock, and Jaune strolls inside.

Ozpin looks up from his desk.

"It has been quite some time since we'd last spoken. What suddenly brings you here?"

"I'd prefer not to waste any time. I know that you've been keeping a keen eye on me for the past several weeks, trying to learn of my capabilities. I also know that you are well aware of what transpired between Cardin Winchester and I during lunch."

Ozpin crosses his fingers and places his hands on the desk.

"Surely you understand why we can not simply ignore you."

Jaune nods. Of course he understands. Despite the oaths, it would be foolishness of the highest degree if they'd let him roam about without taking precautions. Honestly, he would have completely disregarded the possibility of allying himself to Ozpin if that were the case.

"As for the altercation, yes, I am aware. That was quite the scene you'd caused," Ozpin lightly chuckles. He presses a button to call Glynda up to his office.

"You desire to be matched up against Cardin Winchester during Glynda's class?"

Jaune crosses his arms, "Match me up against team CRDL."

"You wish to face an entire team alone?" Ozpin asks, intrigued.

The office door slides open and Glynda strolls in.

"You called for me Professor?" She pauses upon seeing Jaune.

"Yes," Ozpin nods. "I'd like you to organize a match between Jaune and team CRDL during your afternoon class."

"Excuse me?" Glynda asks, surprised. "With all due respect, is that a good idea?"

Ozpin takes a sip from his mug with a hint of a smile.

"This is a good opportunity to see Mr Arc's true capabilities. So long as he does not permanently maim or kill them, I see no problem."

"Those boys need to be shown their place. Especially that Cardin fellow. I have been generously patient with his ongoing behavior, and have yet to seen anyone take the steps to correct it." Jaune says.

Glynda turns towards Jaune with a stern glare.

"If the situation spirals out of control, all blame will be placed upon you. Also, you may not complain if I choose to step in. Am I clear?"

Jaune calmly meets her gaze.

"Crystal."

"In that case, what should be do about the rules? The issue with your portrayed Aura levels is a problem."

"Simple," Jaune sighs. "CRDL will follow the standard rules. As for me... if they are able to land a clean hit on me, consider that their victory."

_'That is not mere arrogance,' _Ozpin thinks to himself. _'Unmatched confidence, as if he were simply stating a fact.'_

"Very well," Glynda curtly responds. "If that is all, I'll be taking my leave."

She shoots Jaune a final glare before leaving Ozpin's office.

_'She has quite the temper. If looks could kill, I would be dead several times over.'_

***** Combat Class *****

The room bustles with energy and excitement. An official duel between two who hold grievances against each other. What better scenario could one ask for to lead up to a fight? This will surely be an entertaining show to watch, and word had quickly spread through the students. Glynda does nothing but stare at the additional stream of students coming in to witness the fight between Jaune and Cardin, though she is clearly annoyed. When the final students find their seats within the stands, she slaps her riding crop against her palm, instantly silencing the crowd.

"I am seeing quite a few new faces today," Glynda makes stern eye contact with those not enrolled in her class. The majority of the students in the room shrink back and laugh nervously, hoping she would not kick them out.

"So long as you do not cause a scene, we can move on. To begin, the first match of today will be Jaune Arc... vs Team CRDL."

Those in the room glance at one another and begin to lowly whisper.

"Wasn't it just suppose to be Jaune vs Winchester?"

"A 4 vs 1? How is this even fair?"

RWBY and NPR are baffled, then turn their heads towards Jaune who is beside them. With an impassive expression, he stands up and makes his way down the stairs into the locker rooms.

"Against an entire team?" Weiss exclaims. "Are the professors insane? If this was Pyrrha, I would understand. But Jaune?"

"I'm... sure the Professor knows what she is doing and has everything under control," Pyrrha says with little confidence.

"Professor Goodwitch will step in before anything bad can happen," Blake calmly states. "We should do our part and wish him luck."

_'Not many seemed to notice earlier, but the killing intent Jaune was emitting in the dining hall... No amateur could do such a thing.'_

After several minutes, Team CRDL step into the arena, grasping their weapons and donned in their armor. On the opposite end, Jaune steps in wearing nothing but loose fitting clothes. Crocea Mors is slung across his back. Mortal level armor provides no benefit for Jaune, therefore, he decides to simply forgo it. At this point, his body is comparable to the metal armor the members of CRDL are wearing.

Glynda glances at both sides, when announces the rules of the duel.

"The rules are as follows: Team CRDL will be following the standard rules of a tournament. A knock out from the ring, or insufficient Aura is an elimination from the match. As for Jaune Arc, he is considered eliminated should he be knocked off the stage, or suffers a significant blow. Do both sides acknowledge and agree with the terms set?"

Jaune calmly nods, while Cardin nods with a savage grin.

"Then, you may begin on my mark."

The members of CRDL shift into stance.

"Begin!"


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing RWBY related**

Jaune resists the urge to roll his eyes.

As soon as Glynda had started the match, all four members of CRDL charge straight towards Jaune, screaming their battle cries.

_'Are they idiots? They are acting like wild bulls. What a joke...'_

Being the lightest of the four, Russel moves ahead of the pack and slashes at Jaune's torso. Minimally leaning back, Jaune dodges the weapon and quickly strikes Russel on the chest with his palm, knocking him across the arena floor. With a quick scan, Jaune instantly assesses the situation.

_'Cardin coming from the front. Dove from my side. And Sky is...'_

Jaune lowers his head, avoiding the blade of a halberd swinging at him from behind.

Sky's mouth drops open in surprise that Jaune had dodged without even looking.

_'Does this dude have eyes on the back of his head?'_

His thoughts are quickly interrupted by a reverse kick to his stomach. Spittle flies from his mouth as his eyes roll back and blacks out. On the screen, Sky's Aura instantly drops to the red, eliminating him.

Wasting no time, Jaune quickly sprints towards Russel, who is still recovering from the blow he'd received. Jaune grabs him by the collar and tosses him off the stage.

Cardin and Dove skid to stop, realizing that their advantage in numbers had been cut in half in a matter of seconds.

_'Fuck! How did this trash get the jump on us?!'_

They cautiously circle around Jaune while maintaining a distance.

_'What morons. Charging in blindly with zero coordination.'_

Jaune cracks his neck and reaches up over his shoulder to draw Crocea Mors from its sheathe. He channels some of his Aura into the blade.

_'Aura. Qi. What is the difference when channeled into a weapon?'_

While remaining in his position, Jaune swings the sword through the air towards Cardin and Dove.

A cold feeling washes over Cardin, and he instinctively dives to the side. Unfortunately, his remaining teammate is not so quick to react.

A transparent distortion flies through the air and slams against Dove's chest, knocking him onto his back. Jaune transitions into a sequence of attacks, showcasing an intricate dance with his blade. Multitudes of invisible qi blades strike at Dove, shaving his Aura away in moments. A final blow knocks Dove over the edge of the stage. Jaune brings his sword down to his side and tilts his head at Cardin.

_'He was able to instinctively dodge. Not bad.'_

By this point, Cardin is sweating bullets.

_'What the hell just happened? Aura blades aren't anything rare with Huntsmen, but all Aura has color. It should have been visible. So, was that his Semblance?'_

He grits his teeth and tightly grasps his mace. He channels some Aura into the fire Dust crystal in his mace, and slams it into the ground, sending a wave of debris and fire at Jaune. Then, he charges forward, using his attack as cover.

_'Hmm, not a terrible idea.'_

Jaune channels more aura into his blade and swings a heavy blow, before following up with a lightning fast stab. The wave of debris and fire is blown away by his heavy strike, and the quick attack knocks Cardin's mace out of his hands. Jaune blurs into motion and appears behind Cardin. With a swift strike to the back of his head using the flat side of his sword, Cardin sprawls out across the floor.

"The match is over. The winner is Jaune Arc," Glynda announces.

Cardin groans and tilts his head up at the screen, which displays his Aura level in the red.

_'We lost?...'_

He slams his fist onto the ground in rage, before pushing himself up onto his feet. Breathing heavily, he glares at Jaune and shoves past him, heading back to his lockers.

"Damn," Yang whistles. "How long was that match? A minute at most?"

"Not even close," Weiss holds up her Scroll, showing the length of the video she'd captured. "If we include the time of Professor Goodwitch announcing the start of the match... 30 seconds."

_'Just how much was he holding back during initiation?'_ Pyrrha wonders.

Jaune smoothly sheathes his weapon and strolls up the stands, ignoring the incredulous looks from the other students. He takes his seat beside Pyrrha.

"That was not a bad workout," he casually says.

"Are you kidding? You're not even breathing heavily," Yang snorts. "And they couldn't touch you a single time!"

"Since when were you capable of doing any of what you just did?" Weiss asks with a suspicious tone. "Based on your behavior and stature during initiation, there was zero indication of such skill or ability."

"Ah... I must have been quite nervous that day," Jaune casually responds.

Weiss was not having it.

"You lying little-"

"U-um... hello again. Is this a bad time?" A soft voice cuts through Weiss' impending rant.

Velvet nervously approaches the group and turns her head towards Coco, who can be seen sitting several stands away. Her mouth clearly says _'go_' while sporting a grin.

Taking a deep breath, Velvet walks up to Jaune.

"I-I'd like to apologize for running off like that during lunch. So, I'd like to thank you properly this time," Velvet bows apologetically.

Jaune lightly chuckles, "There is no need for that. And, you're quite welcome."

"But... why _did_ you help me?" Velvet curiously asks. "Unless I'm mistaken, we do not know each other?"

Jaune takes a moment to think.

"I suppose you could say that it was for purely selfish and personal reasons. In addition, Cardin Winchester has been quite the eyesore."

He leans forward, closing the gap between his face and Velvet's.

"If you ever need help in the future, and your teammates or friends are not around, feel free to ask me."

Blushing due to the close distance between their faces, Velvet says nothing and rapidly nods.

_'His eyes are beautiful... Like the depths of the ocean.'_

She catches herself and steps back. With burning cheeks, she bows goodbye and walks back to Coco with a slight skip in her steps. Coco lightly prods Velvet's side with her elbow and whispers something into her ear, causing Velvet to jolt. With haste, she drags her friend by the arm out of the classroom.

While the group watches the pair leave, Weiss stiffly comments, "Do not think for a second that I've forgotten what we were discussing."

She points one of her slender fingers at Jaune's nose.

"I know for a fact that you were not this skilled during initiation, and it has only been a few weeks since then."

_'She is a persistent one,' _Jaune thinks, rather amused.

He scratches his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

"Um... Well, I've been training extra hard ever since initiation. For you to think that my progress is impossible is quite the complement. So... thank you?"

Jaune suddenly looks surprised and anxious.

"Oh! Professor Goodwitch is calling for me. I would not want to make her angry. She is quite the scary woman."

He briskly walks away before anyone could say a word.

"Hey!" Weiss yells. A vein threatens to pop on her forehead and she angrily stomps her foot in annoyance.

"Can I help you Mr Arc?" Glynda looks sharply at Jaune.

Jaune dons a deathly serious expression.

"I'd like to speak with Ozpin immediately. It is a matter of extreme importance."

Her eyes narrow at his tone. Though she does not fully trust Jaune, she can not simply ignore him either. She types a message for Ozpin, who soon replies with an _okay_.

Jaune nods and strolls out of the classroom, heading directly for Beacon Tower.

* * *

The elevator doors slide open and the doors leading into Ozpin's office click open. Jaune strolls in without a speaking a word and plops down onto a chair before lazily closing his eyes.

_'What in the world?'_

Ozpin's eye twitches and he breaks the silence.

"Glynda said that there was something urgent you have to discuss with me?" His eyes narrow behind his glasses.

Jaune squints an eye open, then dismissively waves a hand.

"I lied. Sorry."

The mug in Ozpin's hands shatters, spilling its liquid contents across his table. Ignoring the mess, Ozpin takes a deep breath to calm himself.

_'What is this man planning?'_

"And why... would you do such a thing? I am a rather busy man, and would prefer to not have my time wasted, Mr Arc."

"Busy," Jaune lightly laughs. "Such as constantly spying on Team RWBY? As for paperwork, I've yet to see a single scrap of it here, meaning that Glynda likely does it all for you. So you are busy how?"

Ozpin coughs, "Well, leaving that matter aside, I'd rather you not show up to my office without good reason."

"Weiss was beginning to interrogate me and was getting to the point of becoming cumbersome to deal with," Jaune replies. "I must say, it is rather nice and quiet up here. Much better than any other location on campus..."

"Please do not get any ideas," Ozpin sighs while retrieving a small towel from his desk.

"Isn't this a chance for the two of us learn more about each other?" Jaune knowingly smirks. "Surely you wouldn't give up such a golden opportunity?"

Ozpin places a spare mug on his desk and sighs.

_'He is likely not an enemy, but he is quite a pain to deal with. A sly old man...'_


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Like any other morning, Jaune can be found sitting in the grass field. He opens his eyes and sighs.

_'Still no progress with the Paifang. Without access to my dantian, cultivation will be impossible. Body tempering can only go so far...'_

He looks down and clenches a hand into a fist.

_'There is quite some overlap between Aura and qi which is why I am able to temper my body in the first place. Those ranged strikes against CRDL were nothing special. Plenty of experienced Huntsmen with a strong grasp over their Aura can easily do the same. The only difference is theirs are visible while mine are transparent.'_

"This discomfort of being unable to cultivate is quite the problem," he mutters to himself.

***** JNPR dorm room *****

"Pyrrha?"

She looks up from the book she's currently reading. "Yes?"

"I have been wondering for quite some time, but have been unable to come up with a satisfactory answer. Perhaps you could help provide some insight?"

Pyrrha closes her book and turns towards her leader, intrigued.

"What is the origin of Aura and Semblance?"

Pyrrha looks down in thought.

"That is quite the difficult question you're asking. Currently, there is no definitive consensus between the researchers and historians. Due to the lack of evidence, some simply believe that they are gifts granted by the gods, while others believe that a legendary figure from the past had discovered their existence and passed the practice down to the rest of mankind."

"Both hypothesis are quite similar..." Jaune raises an eyebrow.

"Indeed they are," Pyrrha nods.

_'However... gods? Interesting.'_

"Unlocking Aura. Is that the practice you are referring to? What exactly is the method?"

Pyrrha's expression turns strange.

"You are not pulling my leg right? This was not taught to you prior to Beacon?"

"If you'd be so kind to refresh my memory," Jaune chuckles.

_'Strange. There is no memory of such a thing.'_

Pyrrha clears her throat.

"Of course, I'd be happy to oblige. There are two main methods one can unlock their Aura. The first method is for the individual to unlock it themselves. Usually, this depends on luck, talent, and circumstances. It is seen as quite the accomplishment for one to unlock their Aura this way. The second method, which is much more common, is through external aid, via the Chant."

Jaune leans forward.

"What is the Chant?"

Pyrrha takes a deep breath.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become the paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

Jaune's eyes narrow.

_'The slightest hint of cultivation philosophy is within those words, though there are fundamental flaws. Immortality through death? How naive. To be a paragon is to rise above all. Virtue and glory hold no meaning without the strength to back them up. The strong dictate the weak and the rules.'_

His head tilts down in thought.

_'Despite its flaws, it is still capable of unlocking Aura. Therefore, if those flaws were resolved, what would the effect be?'_

"Jaune?" Pyrrha waves a hand in front of Jaune's face.

"My apologies. I was contemplating the Chant, thinking it to be rather interesting. Was your Aura unlocked in this fashion?"

Her emerald eyes shine with unbridled pride.

"I unlocked mine during intensive training, when I was younger," she responds with a smile.

"If the Chant is capable of unlocking anyone's Aura, why isn't everyone's Aura unlocked?" Jaune asks.

Pyrrha's expression turns serious.

"The unlocking of Aura opens one's soul to the world. Thus, emotions are amplified several fold, easily attracting the Grimm. This is why unlocking the Aura of a noncombatant is considered to be a serious crime, and reserved almost exclusively to Huntsmen and Huntresses. Of course, there are rare exceptions."

_'As I'd suspected. Huntsmen and Huntresses are quite literally beacons that attract the Grimm. Beacon Academy is quite aptly named. In addition, it would be safe to assume that Huntsmen and Huntresses who unlocked their Aura independently are almost always exceptionally talented. I would not be surprised if all of RWBY and my team unlocked their Auras in this fashion.'_

"So you say that you unlocked your Aura naturally during training? That is quite amazing."

Despite being used to praise, Pyrrha feels her cheeks turn red when hearing it from Jaune.

* * *

***** The following morning *****

_'For it is through the defiance of the Heavens we shatter mortality. Through strength and tribulation, we rise above all to become the paragon. Pursue the Dao. Reach the pinnacle.'_

Jaune mentally chants while breathing in the morning air. He waits, feeling for any changes or disturbances within himself. When nothing happens after several minutes, he verbally recites his modified Chant, but like before, nothing changes.

_'Is my speculation wrong? This should be a genuine mantra. There should have at least been some reaction.'_

He frowns.

_'Is it because my Aura is already unlocked?'_

Jaune quickly slips into his meditation state and soon finds himself in front of the split Paifang.

_'As usual, the left feels familiar, while the right feels foreign. Both leak waves of strength-'_

_'Leak?'_

Jaune places his hands on both halves.

_'Does this mean my Aura is not unlocked, rather, I'd confused Aura with whatever power was leaking from the Paifang? If both halves are emitting Aura...'_

He recalls the knowledge he'd learned so far.

_'Aura is the power of the soul. Then... the left half feels familiar because it represents myself? If that is the case, then the right must be... Jaune Arc.'_

_'Do I have to choose? No... if I choose the left, then I am admitting that nothing has changed from my previous life. Therefore, I must accept Jaune Arc into myself. However, I can not discard the left half, for I am not a mere replacement for Jaune Arc. My identity is the fusion between Jaune Arc and Rong Shan._

Jaune manifests a sword and grasps it with a serene expression.

_'I know what I must do.'_

Without hesitation, he swings down through the divide, severing the boundary between the halves.

_'Sever!'_

As a result of his action, the two halves of the Paifang crumble apart and the pieces get sucked into the boundary that Jaune swung his sword. The space around him rumbles like thunder, and his connection to his soul is severed.

In the outside world, a shudder runs through Jaune's body and his face pales with blood dripping from his mouth.

Ignoring the searing pain of severing his soul, Jaune claps his palms together, willing the boundary to condense the fragments of Paifang halves. Though it only took a few seconds, it felt like hours from Jaune's perspective. The rumbling comes to a stop and a bright flash of light erupts from the point he'd condensed the fragments.

When his vision returns, a fully intact Paifang stands before him. The previously empty gateway now shimmers like water, and above the gateway is an inscription, declaring the words proudly for all the world to witness.

**_For it is through the defiance of the Heavens we shatter mortality. Through strength and tribulation, we rise above all to become the paragon. Pursue the Dao. Reach the pinnacle._**

Intense waves of power pulsate out from the Paifang's gateway, and Jaune erupts into laughter.

_'This is the correct path!'_

He steps through the gateway.

_'My dantian. At last.'_

Jaune admires the vast sea of Aura surrounding him, though at this point, his Aura is so pure there is little difference between it and qi.

"Incredible. Is this the potential of both my and Jaune Arc's souls combined? It is absurd."

His eyes reopen and he sighs in satisfaction, reveling in the warmth coming from above his navel.

_'The path is finally open.'_

Jaune smiles to himself.

_'Early stage is a pond. Middle is a lake. Late stage is a sea. To skip directly to late stage Houtian speaks volumes for my potential. The next step is to stabilize my cultivation through constant meditation. Then the final step is my Heavenly Tribulation to break into Xiantian. The 3-in-9 Lightning Tribulation.'_

Jaune stands up and peacefully gazes up towards the Heavens.

_'Failure is death, but that is a given on the path of cultivation. I look forward to it.'_

He collects his belongings and strolls towards the dorms.

_'My strength is far beyond what was shown against CRDL, though I was holding back considerably during that match as well. But now, it is the difference of Heaven and Earth. Remaining inconspicuous is the best course of action. Needlessly revealing my strength would be foolish. One should not so easily reveal their trump card, after all.'_

He glances down at his blood stained clothes.

_'A good start to remaining inconspicuous would be to get this cleaned.'_


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Jaune suddenly pauses in his steps. A violent tug and an eery sense of doom comes down upon him. His eyes widen.

"Shit..." he involuntarily curses.

He turns on his heels and rushes towards Beacon tower.

_'To feel such a violent tug in karma as a mere Houtian. This is bad...'_

Jaune wastes no time and presses the button for the elevator. When it arrives and the door opens, Glynda steps out into the lobby.

"Mr Arc,' Glynda glances at him and the blood stains. "What in the world?"

"Glynda," Jaune greets in a deathly serious tone. "We must speak with Ozpin. **Now**."

* * *

As the elevator rapidly ascends through the floors, Glynda asks, "Care to explain the blood?"

"From training."

She raises an eyebrow.

_'Though technically an answer, it hardly explains anything...'_

The elevator door opens and they walk into Ozpin's office. The headmaster turns his chair to face them, while sipping from his mug. His eyes can discern that Jaune is not here on a whim.

"I can see that there is something urgent bothering you. Last time you were here, you alluded to the two of us getting to know each other. Also, you've chosen to come here because you either have no choice, believe that it would be beneficial to do so, or both."

Jaune's eyes glint.

_'Interesting.'_

"Very well. I'll answer several of your questions. So long as they do not encroach upon my privacy, I will answer."

His eyes narrow slightly.

"Do you wish for me to swear an oath?"

Ozpin looks down at his desk in deep thought.

_'The Heavenly oath is fascinating, powerful, and terrifying. Though it is binding, the trust it enforces is incredibly shallow... Is that the kind of relationship I'd like with this man in front of me?'_

He looks up at Jaune with resolve.

"No. An oath will not be necessary."

A hint of respect enters Jaune's eyes.

_'Most would be unable to resist the temptation of using the Heavenly oaths as a crutch. Admirable. Truly admirable.'_

"I'm rather impressed by your resolve, headmaster."

Ozpin nods, "Well, I suppose coming from you, that is quite the praise. But before we start, I believe a change of clothes is in order."

After taking a moment to change into spare clothes provided by Glynda, Jaune sits across from Ozpin.

"Before you say anything, I'd like to establish some base level knowledge. Seeing as you've earned my respect, it is only right."

"First and foremost is the general outline of the universe. It is called _**The Three Realms**_. As the name implies, there are three realms that make up the universe. _**Heaven Realm, Earth Realm, **_and _**Mortal Realm**_. The Heavens dictate fate and karma, while maintaining the balance of natural order. Earth is known as the Underworld, Netherworld, or Diyu. Some even call it Hell, but it is not a place of torture. It is where souls travel to reincarnate back into the cycle of life and death. The mortal realm is where we currently stand. It is filled with lifeforms such as humans, Faunus, and many others. Based on the fact that the Heavenly oaths took hold means that Remnant is, without a doubt, situated within _**The Three Realms**_."

Ozpin and Glynda remain silent, stunned by this revelation, though they also have a hard time believing. Ignoring their expressions, Jaune continues.

"The next topic is the basics of cultivation. At the very core, cultivation is closely related to philosophy and the pursuit of truth. We call this the Dao. Through practice and enlightenment, one can gain insight of the Dao, and thus, harness control over the natural world. As I'd explained before, the Heavens regulate balance in the natural world, therefore, cultivators are viewed as intolerable to the Heavens. As a cultivator progresses and gains strength, the Heavens will send down trials and tribulations to destroy the practitioner."

"And... you are implying that you are one of these... cultivators?" Ozpin slowly asks.

Jaune merely smiles.

"When I'd first arrived on Remnant, I had noticed that Aura is eerily similar to qi, to the point it can be a replacement. In addition, the existence of Semblances is something new to me, but that is a topic for another time. The first step of any practitioner is to lay a foundation of qi or Aura within their dantian, which is the area above the navel. Up until this morning, I was unable to do so.

_'Does that explain the blood?'_ Glynda wonders.

"So, where does that put you in terms of strength? I'm assuming that you're considerably stronger now?" Ozpin asks.

_'Is he trying to gauge how big of a potential threat I could be?'_

Jaune rubs his chin in thought.

"Hmm... if we use CRDL as the reference point, I suppose you can put me at around 5 fold of what I'd demonstrated against them."

_'Unfortunately, I can not be completely honest with you two regarding this information. Do not blame me.'_

"Very interesting..." Ozpin takes a drink from his mug. "Then, would it be possible for others to learn this practice of cultivation?"

"To be honest, I do not know, though I am currently leaning towards no. My circumstances are rather unique, but I am planning on exploring the possibility in the future."

_'Even if it were possible, I would not willingly divulge such a thing. Not at this time...'_

"Actually, it was my breakthrough to Houtian that has led up to this meeting, and why I am currently here in your office," Jaune sighs.

The air begins to turn heavy.

"A natural benefit of stepping into the cultivation way is an increased sensitivity to karma. Call it fate, fortune, or destiny. It is an intangible force that can lead a practitioner to great treasure, or steer away from calamity. As one increases their cultivation, this sense becomes sharper. And that is exactly why we have a problem," Jaune's eyes dangerously narrow. "Shortly after breaking into Houtian, I sensed it."

"Sensed... what?" Ozpin slowly asks. A bad feeling begins to creep over him.

"A calamity is approaching. It will fall upon Beacon."

Ozpin and Glynda glance at each other and suppress a shudder. Amber's critical condition. The increased rate of crime within the kingdom. The White Fang's recent violent activities. Dust systematically being stolen from the shops of Vale.

Noticing their reactions, Jaune leans forward.

"You two know something."

Ozpin nods.

"In actuality, things have not been very peaceful in the recent months. With your sudden warning of an approaching calamity, it is hard to believe that all of these events are mere coincidence."

"Let us assume that someone is pulling the strings behind the scene," Jaune calmly states. "If you were in their shoes, when is the most opportune time to strike?"

Glynda whispers, "The Vytal Festival. It takes place in Vale this year."

"Indeed," Ozpin nods in agreement. "The Vytal Festival is more than a simple celebration. It is a symbol of peace and comfort for all on Remnant."

_'Then I must break through to Xiantian before the festival.'_

Jaune leans back in his seat.

"Given the base information I've provided, ask away your questions."

Ozpin quietly sets his mug down, clearly disturbed by the revelations.

"The _**Three Realms**_... cultivation... and perhaps even your existence. Would you be okay if Glynda and I shared this information with those we trust?"

"No. I would prefer you two keep your mouths shut," Jaune resolutely denies. "You and I both know that secrets exist for a very good reason. Many times, the less that know, the better."

Ozpin bows his head slightly, "I understand what you mean very well."

He taps his fingers on his desk for several moments, before looking back up at Jaune.

"Are you at all familiar with the tale of the four maidens?"

Jaune raises an eyebrow and quickly searches through his memories.

"No."

Ozpin chuckles, "I see. Well, Remnant has been around for a very long time. And in that time, countless tales and legends have emerged and passed down through the generations. One of them is the story of the four seasonal maidens."

He pauses for moment, reminiscing.

"Long ago, an old wizard who lived alone in a mountain was visited by four sisters. Each of them possessed their own unique kindness and view of the world. Winter taught the old man the importance of self reflection and meditation. Spring brought him fruits and flowers, revitalizing his garden and ultimately, his soul. Summer convinced the old man to step outside the confines of his home and embrace the world. And finally, Fall taught him to be thankful for what he already has. Moved by their kindness, the old wizard gifted the four sisters with great power, so that they may travel throughout Remnant to spread their gifts and lessons."

Jaune listens carefully.

_'He speaks as if he were there... The look in his eyes is one I'd recognize anywhere.'_

"What is your purpose for telling me such a tale? Is this the origin of Aura and Semblance?"

"Good guess, but no," Ozpin sighs and adjusts his glasses. "The power the old wizard entrusted to the young maidens was something far more potent than Aura or Semblance. It was magic."

_'Magic? Like divine arts?'_

"And what is magic, exactly?" Jaune asks.

"Magic is a power that is capable of many things. Semblances are typically restricted in their flexibility, but magic's potential is near infinite. So long as the user has the skill and experience, incredible feats can be achieved. Dust is not required. Some simple examples is the manifestation of nature's powers or flight."

_'I'm sure he is underplaying the possibilities of this so called magic by giving such simple examples. But to me, it sounds like nothing but simpler versions of divine arts.'_

"That sounds quite incredible," Jaune feigns amazement. "So, why do you feel so compelled to tell me about this? How is this information relevant to the approaching calamity?"

Glynda steps forward.

"It is relevant because the maidens still exist. Their powers have been passed down for as long as history remembers. Just recently, the Fall Maiden was ambushed. One of our colleagues was able to save her, but she is currently in critical condition, and the nature of it is rather... unprecedented."

"For the first time in history, a Maiden's power has been split. Part of it stolen by the assailant," Ozpin concludes. His hand tightens around his cane.

Jaune silently regards the two.

"And you're telling me such sensitive information because... you would like for me to take a look at her?"

"Yes," Ozpin stiffly nods. "Glynda, if you would be so kind, please check on Amber and prepare for our visit into the Vault. In the meantime, I will be debriefing Jaune with additional details."

Glynda tiredly sighs and exits the office.

Jaune smiles, amused by Ozpin.

"You may have fooled Glynda, but you can not escape my eyes with that level of acting. What is it you want to say?"

Ozpin freezes for a moment, then lightly chuckles in resignation.

"Not much escapes from you. What I want to ask is... what do gods mean to you?"

_'Again with the gods. First Pyrrha and now Ozpin.'_

"Gods...," Jaune smirks. "A concept created by mortals who do not know any better. In the cultivation world, there are practitioners who call themselves gods. After all, the difference in power and ability between a mortal and a high level cultivator is as vast as the Heavens and the earth. From the mortal's perspective, the cultivator might as well be a god."

"However," Jaune scoffs. "Based on my experience, those who actively call themselves gods or deities are typically narcissistic fools with weak Dao hearts."

"Personal experience?" Ozpin nearly stutters.

_'I was only searching for additional knowledge to add to my own! This is beyond my expectation.'_

Jaune lightly laughs at Ozpin's reaction before saying with a hint of disdain.

"Such beings who plant themselves among mortals to stroke their own egos. Weaklings and fools, the lot of them."

"Then what about immortality? Is that a lie?" Ozpin asks. Desperation drips from his voice.

"Hear this, Ozpin," Jaune says in a low voice. "It does not matter how strong one becomes. Any and all cultivators are susceptible to death."

_'Is he telling the truth? Are the Brothers not gods, but cultivators? If I were to take Jaune's words as truth, then that also means that Salem can be destroyed...'_

Ozpin's mind races.

_'But this is inconsistent with what Jinn told me in the past...'_

His Scrolls buzzes with a message from Glynda.

"It would seem that Glynda is ready for us," Ozpin stands up and gestures towards the elevator. "Perhaps we can further discuss this at a later time, but for now, are you ready to meet the Fall Maiden?"


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

***** On the elevator *****

"I would not expect too much, Ozpin. Though my knowledge is extensive, that does not guarantee treatment for whatever is afflicting her," Jaune preemptively states.

Ozpin stiffly nods, though one could see the disappointment in his eyes.

"I... am quite aware of that possibility. However, we are growing desperate as Amber's condition is slowly worsening by the day. At this point, I am willing to take whatever chances become available."

The elevator comes to halt and the doors slide open. Glynda stands in the opening, anxiously waiting for them.

"How is she?" Ozpin asks.

Glynda sighs, "The usual report. Her condition is worsening by the day."

"I see," Ozpin tightly grips his cane and steps out from the elevator. "Let's go."

As the trio walk down a large, long hall, Jaune notes the various corridors branching out into a series of tunnels.

_'I wonder where those lead to...'_

At the end of the hall is a large medical pod housing an unconscious young woman with chocolate brown hair. Jaune's eyes follow a series of pipes and wires leading from Amber's medical pod to a vacant one.

_'Hmm...'_

Noticing Jaune's gaze, Ozpin comments, "It is as you suspect. Unfortunately, I fear that we may have to resort to such a method given the current situation."

Jaune nods, then steps forward to take a closer look. He places a palm against the glass, then extends a tendril of Aura through the glass and into the pod.

_'Divine sense would make this process much easier, but this method should suffice at this short of a distance.'_

He gently prods her body and waits for a response from her Aura. Finding none, Jaune raises an eyebrow, then plunges his Aura directly into her body with no resistance. He closes his eyes and gently circulates his wisp of Aura through Amber. Once he reaches her navel, his eyes snap open. He shakes his head as he steps away from the pod.

_'What a pity.'_

Ozpin and Glynda feel their stomachs drop at Jaune's reaction. Ozpin braces himself.

"What did you find out? How is she?"

Jaune sighs, "I will be frank with you. Her soul is severely damaged. A large portion of it is missing, as if some force had torn it apart. She is as good as dead. The separation of a soul is a delicate process in which the slightest mistake can result in grave consequences. Whoever did this to Amber was anything but delicate. Though she is unconscious, she is in indescribable pain right now. It would be an act of mercy to kill her right now."

He narrows his eyes at the two professors.

"That is not an option for you two, is it?"

Glynda puts a hand up to her mouth, looking pale and ill.

"As much as it pains me to admit... No. That is not an option," Ozpin solemnly replies. "If Amber passes, we risk the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers to seek its other half, which lies within her assailant. For the sake of the greater good of protecting humanity, we can not allow that to happen."

Jaune closes his eyes.

"Just know this. Every second that you two keep Amber alive, is another second of agonizing torture you are knowingly putting her through. If you're willing to shoulder such a burden, then so be it."

Ozpin says nothing, but tightly clenches his cane with guilt ridden eyes.

"How long can she last?" Glynda softly asks.

"Three to six months. Where she falls within that range depends on her will."

_'Our greatest fears are slowly coming true...'_ Ozpin mentally sighs.

"This was not exactly the news we wanted to hear, but thank you Jaune, for clarifying her condition for us."

He momentarily glances at the vacant medical pod. Jaune catches this and his eyes narrow.

_'So he's made his decision.'_

"If that is all you'd like for me to do down here, I'd like to return to the surface. Otherwise, my team will begin wondering where I have been."

* * *

***** Later that afternoon *****

_'My first priority is to develop my divine sense. It is far too useful to ignore until Xiantian, and the current situation is urgent. This will likely increase the difficulty of my tribulation, but I have little choice. If I survive my tribulation, my divine sense will be far beyond average and will only grow more advantageous as I progress.'_

_'Next, I must consider my weapon, Crocea Mors. For a mortal sword, it is top grade. However, unless something is done, it will become a bottleneck. Completely discarding it is not really an option, as it is an heirloom of my family. Hmm... there is the option of making it my natal weapon when I reach Xiantian, but to make a mortal level sword my natal weapon? What a complete waste. It may be possible to reforge it into a sentient divine sword if I had the energy required...'_

_'Third comes the issue with my Semblance. Should I not have a Semblance? This body is one born on Remnant, so I should not be excluded from a Semblance. They say that a Semblance is the representation of one's soul. Perhaps... I should meditate and ponder upon this.'_

_'Fourth is-'_

"Mr Arc," Oobleck calls loudly. "I can see that you've been paying great attention to my lecture. To demonstrate, why don't you answer the following question? Why do you think the Faunus prevailed in the battle of Fort Castle?"

_'Fort what?'_

Jaune keeps a calm expression and takes a moment to think. Despite having little knowledge of this world's history, both in his memories and Jaune Arc's, he is quite familiar with the art of war.

"I'll admit that I am not particularly familiar with this historical event, Doctor Oobleck. May I get some basic information? What were the sizes of the armies, and what was the setting?"

Oobleck hums in appreciation from his proper title being used. Having been put into a good mood, he decides to entertain Jaune's request.

"Very well. This is a good opportunity for the entire class to participate. Who'd like to answer Mr Arc's inquiries?"

Pyrrha's hand shoots up like a rocket.

"Miss Nikos. Go ahead."

"Thank you sir," Pyrrha responds. "The fort was under the command of General Lagune, and his army was substantially larger than the Faunus army. The one to initiate the attack was the General, and it was during a _particularly_ dark night."

Jaune stifles a chuckle.

_'She tried a little too hard being subtle with that hint. How amusing that she thinks Oobleck did not notice. So... a human army attacks a Faunus camp in pitch black darkness? Unless this army was somehow comprised of practitioners, they would have a difficult time seeing through the darkness without the aid of torches. What a fool to attack an enemy blind.'_

"Attacking in pitch black darkness was a foolish mistake."

Pyrrha sighs in relief that Jaune had caught her hint, while Blake silently nods in approval.

"Very good Mr Arc."

Oobleck adjusts his glasses.

"Based on all evidence found, and the fact many Faunus can see in the darkness, your answer is undoubtedly the correct one."

A loud scoff interrupts.

"Mr Winchester. You seem to disagree? Would you care to explain why?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier," Cardin mocks.

Blakes eyes narrow dangerously, but before she could utter a retort, Jaune begins to laugh.

"What's so funny Jaunie?!" Cardin snarls.

"Cardin, even a child could recognize that blinding oneself is an idiotic thing to do. This General Lagune's impatience got countless men killed. Though... I suppose that you of all people would sympathize with charging in like an uncontrolled animal."

The other students suck in a cold air through their teeth, realizing that Jaune is alluding to Cardin's humiliating defeat in the 4 vs 1.

"YOU FUCKING-" Cardin roars.

"That's quite enough from everyone," Oobleck cuts Cardin off. "Mr Winchester, I will be assigning you to write a detailed account of the Battle of Fort Castle. Class is dismissed."

"Damn," Yang snickers loudly. "Gotta love a double burn. Remind him of his team's humiliation and turning an animal insult back onto him. Nice one Jaune!"

As the students stream out of the lecture hall, Cardin pushes past Jaune and growls in a low voice, "This isn't over."

Jaune shrugs and joins his team as they head back towards their dorms.

Up ahead, Jaune notices the members of RWBY heading towards the bullhead stations designated for the city.

_'I have been meaning to ask Ruby for some input in redesigning my shield. Perhaps I should follow them. It is a good opportunity to explore the city as well.'_

"I've just remembered that I have some business to take care of in the city. I'll be back later tonight."

He waves his hand behind him as he splits off from the group. Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora exchange confused looks, but do not think much of it. By this point, they are used to Jaune disappearing at times.

Jaune jogs into the bullhead just in time before the doors slam shut. He glances around and locates Team RWBY huddled in one of the corners. As he begins to approach them, he notices that Blake and Weiss are having a bit of a heated argument, while Ruby and Yang helplessly watch from the side. Finally, Blake says something that causes the rest of her team to freeze, before she turns on her heels and dashes away in the opposite direction.

Without hesitation, Jaune turns on his heels and finds a seat as far away from RW_Y as possible.

_'I would rather not get involved with that fallout if at all possible.'_

He leans back and closes his eyes.

_'So... it took Blake herself for her team to realize that she's a Faunus. Hopefully, they work this out between themselves. Otherwise, I've gravely underestimated their bonds.'_

* * *

Jaune stifles a yawn and strolls out from the bullhead. He looks around, finding no traces of RWBY. Unworried, he shrugs to himself and begins to walk through the city streets, noting the various shops, restaurants, and people. Near the center of the city, he finds a small park. Appreciating the lack of people around that could disturb him, he takes a seat underneath one of the many trees.

_'I suppose I will wait here for now. Given RWBY's tendency for causing chaos, I'll be able to react accordingly if something does happen. I will give them a few more hours to deal with the Blake situation.'_

He crosses his legs and closes his eyes, slipping into meditation.

Jaune peacefully floats through his dantian sea.

_'The path of cultivation is to defy the Heavens. Though there are plenty of things one should fear, the Heavens is not one of them.'_

He waves a finger, conjuring a column of Aura to condense in front of him. He places his hands into the column and integrates his will into it. Molding, kneading, stretching, and churning the Aura to refine it into divine sense.

Having done this in his past life, the task goes as smoothly as drinking a cup of water. Eventually, the column of Aura is transformed into a ball of mist suffused with his will. He nods in satisfaction.

_'This should be the limit at my current stage. Any more would mentally and spiritually strain me."_

For the next several hours, Jaune experiments with his divine sense's capabilities, verifying once again that Aura and qi are greatly interchangeable.

When he finally reopens his eyes, he tilts his head up towards the skies and narrows his eyes. Despite the clear skies, a deep rumble vibrates the very air around him.

_'As I'd thought, my tribulation will be considerably more challenging.'_

He extends his divine sense into a thin strand and scans the area around him. He locates Ruby's Aura in the East.

_'Surely they've handled their situation with Blake by now?'_

* * *

"A White Fang member right under our noses!" Weiss exclaims in frustration.

"Weiss, shut it," Yang grits her teeth. "She said she left."

"And that's exactly what one of those criminals in the White Fang would say to avoid suspicion!" Weiss counters.

"Weiss! Yang!" Ruby attempts to calm them down.

Much to his dismay, this is the scene Jaune walks into.

While Weiss and Yang argue in the background, Ruby notices Jaune walking towards them.

"Jaune? Oh, hey!" Ruby weakly smiles. "Um, what're you doing here in the city?"

Weiss and Yang pause their spat. Due to her current state of anger, Weiss directs her aggression towards Jaune.

"What do you want, Arc? Can't you see that we are busy?" Weiss glares.

_'... Perhaps I should have waited a little longer.'_ Jaune laments.

"You look very busy indeed," Jaune remarks. "I was just passing by and happened to come across you three. Is something wrong?"

He pretends to glance around in confusion.

"Where is Blake?"

"That is none of your business," Weiss curtly responds.

"Hmm," Jaune nods, then turns his attention towards the youngest of the group, Ruby.

"What is going on here?"

Ruby immediately caves to the pressure.

"We found out that Blake is a Faunus, and that she used to be with the White Fang. We've been looking for her all day and are having a hard time dealing with this revelation. Please don't tell anyone she's a Faunus!" She quickly blurts out.

Weiss pinches her brow.

"Just brilliant Ruby..."

Jaune looks at the three, amused.

"It took you all this time to learn that Blake is a Faunus? A cat Faunus to be specific."

"Huh?"

All three girls adopt incredulous expressions.

Jaune sighs, "It does not take much observation to deduce that Blake is a Faunus. Her food preferences, eyes, twitching bow. I'm finding it rather incredible that none of you figured it out despite living together."

The three look down at the ground in shame.

"As for the White Fang, did she not say that she left?" Jaune questions. "Blake is your teammate, and at this point, someone who should be as close as family. Based on your understanding of her character, is she someone who'd lie to you about such a thing? Aside from her hiding her Faunus status, do you have good reason to doubt her word?"

Weiss averts her eyes, unable to meet Jaune's gaze, knowing he is right.

While Jaune was speaking, he secretly scanned a vast portion of the city with his divine sense.

_'Found her.'_

"Speaking of which," Jaune puts hand up to her chin. "I think I saw someone who I thought was Blake near the cargo docks. I'd figured it was just my eyes playing tricks because I did not see you three. But considering the current situation between you four, it was probably her."

Weiss' eyes narrow.

"The cargo docks? If I recall, there is a large shipment of Dust scheduled to be delivered by the SDC tonight. I have a difficult time chalking this up as coincidence."

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Yang declares before sprinting off towards the cargo docks, with Weiss following close behind.

Ruby stays behind for a moment and takes the time to thank her friend.

"Thanks Jaune, we really needed that. I'll try to make it up to you later, and... if it means anything, I'm sorry for all the yelling Weiss did. You know how she is sometimes," Ruby apologetically smiles.

"Well... I _do_ need some help in redesigning my shield. Perhaps you could assist me with that?"

Ruby's eyes instantly grow bright and widen, but before she could start, Jaune preemptively interrupts.

"We can discuss this at a later time. Don't you have a teammate to make up with?"

Ruby pauses and nods. Flashing Jaune a quick smile, she speeds away to follow after Yang and Weiss.

_'Perhaps I should observe them from a distance. Just in case.'_

***** Cargo Dock *****

The trio arrive just in time to see Blake and an unknown monkey Faunus fending off several members of the White Fang. Much to their surprise, Roman Torchwick stands in the back, leading the operation. He points his cane and shoots the ground under Blake and Sun's feet, knocking them several feet away. Grinning, he fires another shot to finish them off, but Ruby dashes in with the assistance of Weiss' glyph and blocks the shot with Crescent Rose.

By this point, four additional bullheads enter the scene and drop off dozens of more White Fang reinforcements onto the ground. Yang and Weiss run up to the sides of Blake and Sun, helping them up onto their feet. Several hundred yard away, Jaune sits casually atop a crane, watching the battle play out.

_'They are handling themselves relatively well, despite being outnumbered. Many of the White Fang are too fixated on getting at Weiss, causing them to lose focus on Yang, Ruby, Blake, and that monkey. In actual combat, their teamwork is rather decent, despite their constant bickering.'_

His eyes narrow at a figure approaching the dock.

_'Who is that headed for Ruby?'_

Penny appears on the scene, surprising Ruby. Capitalizing on the sudden distraction, Roman quickly closes the distance and disarms Ruby before striking her away with his cane.

Penny's eyes flash with anger, and the compartment on her back opens to reveal several narrow blades.

_'A robot?' _

Jaune eyes Penny with some interest.

_'To create a sentient golem is no small feat. Especially for a mortal.'_

The sound of fluttering wings distract him, and Jaune turns his head to his right.

_'A crow? No... a raven.'_

When Jaune looks back at the docks, Penny generates a laser and shoots down three of the bullheads. Down on the ground, Roman is standing beside a petite girl with multi-colored hair and eyes.

_'Another new arrival.'_

Roman and Neo shatter into pieces when RWBY, Penny, and Sun launch their attack. Not one to be easily tricked, Jaune's gaze trails up to the final remaining bullhead as it escapes the scene. The raven perched beside him stares at Jaune intently with its intelligent eyes.

_'What're you looking at?' _

Jaune's right hand blurs into motion and he lightly flicks the raven on the head.

Crying in indignation, it frantically flaps its wings and flies away.

As Vale police begin to arrive, Jaune stands up to leave.

_'Time to return to Beacon.'_


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

_Semblance. It is widely accepted that the nature of one's Semblance is often tied to a distinctive aspect of their character. A useful analogy is that Semblance is power, while Aura is fuel. In addition, the unlocking of one's Aura does not guarantee that one's Semblance will be found. The greater one understands oneself, the greater the chance of discovering their Semblance._

Jaune snaps the book shut.

_'Having Aura means that there must be a Semblance waiting to be unlocked. A representation of one's innermost character? Hmm, Blake tends to run away from her problems, which connects to her shadow clone Semblance. Pyrrha does not enjoy her fame and the attention that comes along with it. I wonder if her Semblance ties with that in any way. Nora's is... quite the match for her explosive character. I suppose the same could apply to Yang. As for Ruby... though she claims it is speed, I am not so sure about that. There is more to her Semblance than simply speed.'_

_'For now, I'll assume that Semblance is linked to one's character. Then that begs the question... what best describes me? What makes matter more complicated is that I am both Rong Shan and Jaune Arc.'_

Jaune puts a hand up to his chin.

_'Jaune Arc... I would describe him as resolved, and perhaps even honor bound. As for myself, Rong Shan, would it be strength? If strength was my ultimate goal, then I would have never willingly chosen to forego breaking through and reincarnate. Wisdom? No. True wisdom is exceedingly rare. I am not so arrogant or naive as to believe my experience equates to true wisdom. Rage? No... I've made peace within myself long ago. Regret? Perhaps. Compassion? I am all for helping those I care for, but I am not a blind charity.'_

_'What is the common factor that binds Jaune Arc and I? Based on my memories, Jaune Arc has always dreamed of being a selfless hero for the people of Remnant, humans and Faunus alike. I am not as generous as Jaune Arc's sentiments. My protection is limited to myself, those who I care for, and my whim. Simply put, my desire is freedom. Freedom to do as I please. Is this not the core reason for why practitioners cultivate? To defy the Heavens and whatever unfavorable fate, destiny, and karma it throws upon us? Therefore, I will continue to do as I wish and not be bound by any chains.'_

Jaune peacefully smiles to himself.

_'Protect and freedom.'_

A foreign sensation suddenly permeates through his body and settles into the back of his mind, causing him to pause in his steps.

_'That was...'_

A small figure suddenly comes around the corner and crashes into Jaune. His arm quickly comes up and catches Ruby before she falls to the ground.

"Oof! Sorry about tha-" Ruby begins to apologize, then looks up. "Jaune?"

She awkwardly brings up an arm and waves.

Jaune tilts his head with an amused smile, and Ruby realizes that she is in close contact in Jaune's arm. She scrambles out from Jaune's arm and straightens her skirt.

"Hello to you as well, Ruby. Why are you in such a rush?"

She puffs out her chest and proudly thumps it.

"As team leader, I have responsibilities to uphold. Therefore, I'm on my way to a debriefing for our upcoming trip to Forever Fall tomorrow. As a matter of fact... shouldn't you be headed there as well? Since you're the team leader for JNPR. Why are you headed in the opposite direction?"

_'Was such a meeting announced? I must have not been paying attention.'_

"I was just taking a bit of a walk and was just about to head over there. It's a good thing we'd met up. We can go together. It would be a shame to be late for such an _important_ meeting," Jaune says.

Ruby snorts and laughs at the obvious lie, then leads the way.

* * *

***** After the meeting *****

As the two walk back to the dorms, Ruby excitedly asks Jaune a rapid series of questions.

"So, about your shield. What kind of modifications do you have in mind? Do you know what kind of materials you'll be using? What about Dust and different metal alloys? Oh! Do you have a sketch of the design for reference? Is it going to shoot lasers?!"

Jaune lightly pats her head.

"One question at a time. I do have a generic sketch in my team room. As for the materials, I have a basic idea, but I'll be leaving the fine tuning to you."

Ruby's eyes sparkle with excitement as they enter JNPR's dorm room.

* * *

***** Forever Fall *****

"As discussed in the debriefing meeting, each team is required to collect four jars of sap by the end of the afternoon. If you finish early, you may spend the remaining time as you wish, but proceed with caution. Any extra jars of sap may be exchanged for Lien, or kept for your own personal use. Once again, I will stress that you must not drop your guard," Glynda announces. "You are dismissed."

Jaune picks a random direction and leads his team to collect the jars of sap. Of course, such a simple assignment does not take long. This entire mission is obviously just a way for the Academy to initiate the first year students with mission work. Much to Jaune's annoyance, he quickly discovers that his skin has a mild allergic reaction to the red sap. Thankfully, Pyrrha quickly volunteers to collect Jaune's share, while he stands by on guard. His divine sense passively surrounds their area, ensuring that nothing can sneak up on them. He glances down at Pyrrha, who is capping his share of the sap.

"Thank you Pyrrha for the help. I would not have guessed that my greatest weakness is syrup."

"I'll keep that in mind for if we ever face off," Pyrrha jokes. "Should we collect more jars? I have a feeling that Nora will deplete our entire supply if we only collect the minimum."

She glances over at Ren, who is pulling Nora away from the multiple jars he'd already collected.

"Perhaps you're right," Jaune chuckles. "We should collect about half a dozen more, then we can think about what we can do next."

As Pyrrha unpacks several empty jars from her bad, Jaune suddenly brings his hand up and signals. Dropping the jars, Pyrrha grabs her weapon. Ren and Nora quickly notice their leader's actions, and immediately draw their own weapons in full alert.

Russel, Sky, and Dove burst through the brushes with panic and fear etched on their faces. When they attempt to sprint past JNPR, Jaune commands.

"Grab them!"

Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha each subjugate a member of CRDL and pin them onto the ground. They kick and scream.

"Run! Ursa! A whole pack of them!"

Jaune's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Where is your leader? Where is Cardin?"

They stiffen at how cold his voice is.

Russel stutters, "H-he said that he would hold them off... as we escaped."

Jaune swiftly draws Crocea Mora from his back and sprints towards the direction these three had come from.

"Pyrrha, with me! Ren and Nora, take these three to base camp and inform Goodwitch of the situation!"

_'Pathetic. Those boys had no intention of seeking help and were in complete panic mode looking only to ensure their survival.'_

Jaune condenses his divine sense and extends it far in front of him.

"Pyrrha, prepare to engage in about 100 meters."

Though she raises an eyebrow at how Jaune would know such a thing, she nods and prepares herself for battle.

* * *

Cardin falls to his knees, breath heavy and uneven. He hisses through his teeth due to his left arm hanging uselessly by his side. A large gaping wound had been torn open by one of the Ursa. Multiple lacerations stain his armor red. He barely keeps himself upright with the support of his mace.

Half a dozen Ursa slowly surround him, growling in anticipation, then they all charge in for the kill.

_'This is how I die?'_

Cardin tightly closes his eyes.

The sound of sharp metal fills the air, and the foremost Ursa is knocked through the air. The remaining five skid to a stop and snarl at the brushes behind Cardin.

_'W-what just happened?' _Cardin wonders as his vision blurs from blood loss.

A spear shoots past Cardin's face and into the skull of the Ursa that was knocked through the air. Jaune and Pyrrha dash out and assume defensive positions in front of Cardin.

"How are his injuries?" Jaune asks without looking back.

"There's a deep shoulder wound, as well as multiple others along his body. He needs to get medical attention as soon as possible."

The leader of CRDL is stunned. Of all the people who came, it was Jaune.

_'Why?'_

"Then we'll need to take care of this quickly. Pyrrha, I'll entrust you with the rear. I'll take the front."

Jaune charges directly at the Ursa pack.

As he passes by Pyrrha's weapon, he flips it into the air with the heel of his foot, then accurately flicks it towards Pyrrha without looking back, who catches it with her Semblance. Jaune circulates Aura into Crocea Mors, and executes various stances of _Breeze Sword, _sending blades of invisible qi.

The two Ursa closest to him fail to react, and their legs get severed. As he runs past them, a quick stab to their heads quickly dispatches them. In the meantime, two of the Ursa run around to flank Cardin, the weakest link.

Jaune ducks to dodge a paw swipe from the final Ursa in the back. He twists his body in midair, and severs the Ursa's arm, then kicks the Ursa's chest. Crocea Mors hums as Jaune channels his Aura into it, then casually swings down on the Ursa's head, bisecting its body into two clean halves.

Patting the dust from his clothes, he walks back towards Cardin and Pyrrha, who'd quickly killed the two Ursa attempting to flank Jaune flips his Scroll open and signals their location to the rest of his team.

Soon, Glynda arrives with medical personnel, who quickly stem the majority of Cardin'a bleeding. An air-lift is called to bring Cardin out from the forest and into a proper medical facility. Glynda strolls up to Jaune with a stern expression.

"Report."

"A pack of six Ursa were converging upon Cardin when Pyrrha and I arrived at the scene. I decided it best to engage and eliminate the threats. While I took the offensive, Pyrrha remained in the rear to defend Cardin."

"Was retrieving Cardin and retreating not an option?" Glynda questions.

"As you've seen, he was deeply wounded. Considering the skill levels of myself and Pyrrha, I did not see a problem with dealing with six Ursa."

Glynda finishes typing into her Scroll.

"Very well. That is acceptable. Mr Arc, Miss Nikos, please join the rest of the teams at base camp as we prepare to return to Beacon."

* * *

***** Ozpin's office *****

"Hmm... this is concerning. The trip was on the mere outskirts of Forever Fall. Though encountering Grimm is a definite possibility... an entire pack of Ursa?" Ozpin muses to himself. His Scroll buzzes with a message, and his grip around his chair's armrest tightens at the message.

_"The Queen has pawns."_

* * *

***** Unknown location *****

Roman Torchwick sits on a crate of Dust inside of a warehouse, silently sucking on a cigar and waiting.

"How very disappointing Roman," a sultry voice says from the darkness.

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Roman flicks the ash off his cigar. "Look, those kids are crazy, and more of them keep showing up. What am I supposed to do about that? Besides..." He taps the side of the crate he's sitting on with his cane, and gestures all around him at the other countless crates in the warehouse. "I think I'm still doing pretty damn well."

The mysterious voice chuckles, "Those kids will no longer be a problem for us to worry about. Our plans will soon transition into phase two."

Glowing amber eyes emerge from the darkness, revealing a seductive young woman with long ash black hair. Cinder. Following close behind are Mercury and Emerald.

Cinder maliciously smirks. "Soon, it will be the end for Beacon."


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Jaune's eyes snap open and he sits up on his bed.

_'My tribulation.'_

He frowns.

_'The Heavens have a twisted sense of humor. The Vytal Festival formally begins in 10 days, and I am sensing that my tribulation will arrive shortly after the festival begins. It should arrive between 13 and 16 days, which means that it will be during the later stages of the Tournament.'_

The rumbling sound of engines interrupt Jaune's thoughts. He slides off his bed and peers out the window, seeing seveal large military airships proudly bearing the symbol of the Atlas military. They fly directly over the city airspace and head towards Beacon.

_'I smell war...'_

Collecting his belonging, Jaune exits the dorms and heads straight towards Beacon Tower. As he passes by the dining hall, he notices the members of RWBY and his team inside, and based on the noise, there is quite the event happening. Deciding to entertain his curiosity, he opens the dining hall doors to enter.

A massive stream of students run past Jaune, and he casually tilts his head to the side, dodging a piece of fried chicken.

_'Of course...' _He mentally sighs.

The entire hall is in utter chaos. Tables and chairs are overturned, and the floor is covered in food. At the very center are RWBY and his own team.

_'I'm hardly surprised that RWBY is involved in this. But even you three...'_

Nora rampages with a makeshift watermelon hammer, smashing Weiss into one of the pillars, then sends Yang into the ceiling.

_'Ah... of course it was Nora.'_

With a sigh, Jaune deflects several stray soda cans that were flung through the air by Pyrrha with a finger. As the food fight reaches its climax, Ruby gets down on all fours into a running position, then activates her Semblance. She blazes across the dining hall at full speed, then suddenly goes airborne as a miniature tornado of rose petals.

_'Does she not realize what she is doing? How is that Semblance only speed?' _Jaune raises an eyebrow.

In the meantime, Jaune stomps the ground, anchoring himself. Unfortunately, the blue haired boy and the monkey Faunus are not prepared for the vacuum caused by Ruby, and get sucked into the vortex and crash against the opposite wall.

_'Isn't that the boy that was with Blake at the docks?'_

When the air settles, Jaune retrieves his foot from the dining floor, leaving a large hole. The dining hall door slams open, and a very angry Glynda Goodwitch storms in.

With a huff, she flicks her riding crop at the scene before her and activates her Semblance. With masterful precision, she reorganizes the tables and chairs, then repairs all damage. Looking at this, Jaune can not help but feel quite sorry for her.

_'Just how many times has she repaired damage in Beacon with her Semblance to become this proficient? I wonder how much money the school saves in repair costs due to Glynda?'_

With death in her eyes, Glynda steps forward to reprimand the teenagers, but Ozpin calls out, stopping her.

"Let them have their fun."

Glynda sighs, "But they're supposed to be the protectors of the world."

"And they will be in due time," Ozpin responds. "But right now, they are just children. So why not let them play the part? After all, it is not a role they'll have forever. Wouldn't you agree Jaune?"

He and Glynda turn towards Jaune, and they silently make their way out from the dining hall.

"Unfortunately, I do," Jaune responds. "They will have to grow up whether they like it or not. Otherwise, they will be consumed by the cruelty of the world."

Ozpin lets out a sad smile.

"Are you busy at the moment? I was just about to call you to my office as there have been some... developments to discuss."

He eyes the Atlas ships above Beacon.

Jaune calmly looks up at the ships.

"I was on my way there."

* * *

***** Ozpin's office *****

Ozpin leans forward from his desk, and takes a sip from his mug. "So, what do you think?"

"You first," Jaune gesture with a hand.

"...Very well."

Ozpin leans back and gestures to the Atlesian ships.

"As you can see, General Ironwood has come to Vale for the Vytal Festival, _along _with his military fleet. I believe that this course of action by James is rather rash. What are your thoughts?"

"You are right that showcasing military might in this fashion is rather reckless. However, I have some additional concerns."

"Please elaborate," Ozpin inquires.

"My tribulation for breaking through to Xiantian," Jaune sighs. "It will arrive in the next 13 to 16 days. With the arrival of Ironwood and his military, the Vytal Festival, and the timeframe of my tribulation, do you think it all to be mere chance?"

Glynda pales. Of course she wouldn't discount these circumstances as mere coincidence. Everything is beginning to center around the Vytal Festival.

"I'm going to need an isolated location to face my tribulation. A spot close enough to the Academy that I'd be able to return in a short amount of time, would be ideal. However, it must also be far enough away that the campus does not fall victim to collateral damage."

"Just... how destructive is a tribulation. In fact, what does it even entail?" Glynda asks in disbelief.

"The tribulation to breakthrough from Houtian to Xiantian is a 3-in-9 lightning tribulation. To put it in simplest of terms, I will be struck with three massive bolts of energy sent down by the Heavens. I've very good reason to believe that my tribulation will be quite a bit more destructive than average. When it comes to tribulations, you either live or die. There is no in-between."

_'He is quite nonchalant about the possibility of certain death.' _Ozpin's eyebrow raises.

"We can arrange you a location in the Emerald Forest. No one is allowed in there without my permission. Would that be satisfactory?"

"So long as the location is an elevated platform," Jaune nods. "I will be leaving a day before the tribulation arrives in order to prepare mentally."

"If you're able to breakthrough into Xiantian, what would you be capable of?" Ozpin slowly asks. "Though at this point, there it little reason to believe you're lying, we have no idea what Xiantian truly means."

"It is difficult to say specifically, but I will put it into very broad perspectives. Think of Houtian as a Huntsmen compared to regular soldiers, who would be normal mortals in this example. You could refer to Houtian as a one man squad, if that analogy helps you to understand."

"Xiantian, on the other hand, belongs to another realm of power. A single Xiantian lifeform can easily turn the tides of the battlefield. Though I'm not entirely sure where Maidens lie in terms of power, take my previous analogy and imagine a Maiden against a group of normal soldiers."

"That powerful?" Glynda gasps, while Ozpin thinks deeply.

_'Likely more.' _Jaune says to himself.

The elevator door slides open and General James Ironwood steps into the office. He immediately strolls enthusiastically up to Ozpin and Glynda to greet them. Jaune remains silent and seated.

"Ozpin," Ironwood greets cordially. "It has been far too long."

"General," Ozpin greets back.

"Please, drop the formalities," Ironwood insists, then he turns to Glynda with a smile. "You as well Glynda, it was been a long time since we'd last met."

_'They seem rather familiar with each other? I was expecting some more tension.'_

Jaune stands from his seat, grabbing the attention of Ironwood.

"Was I interrupting something?" Ironwood asks.

"No, not at all General Ironwood. I had just finished my business with Professor Ozpin when you'd arrived."

He politely nods at Ozpin and Glynda.

"Until next time."

As he walks towards the exit, Glynda adjusts her glasses.

"I'll be escorting Mr Arc back down the tower."

She briskly walks after Jaune.

* * *

Ozpin brings out two small cups from a drawer. He picks up a kettle and pours some tea for the both of them. He hands one to the General.

"So James, what brings _you_ all the way down from Atlas? If I recall, headmasters do not typically come with their students for the Vytal Festival."

Ironwood brings the cup up to his nose and takes in the aroma.

"You know how much I love Vale this time of year. Atlas is always snow or rain. Besides, with you hosting the Festival this year, I thought this would be a good opportunity for us to catch up."

Ozpin sets his cup down onto his desk.

"While I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends, the fleet hovering outside my window has me concerned," Ozpin testily says.

"Well, concerned is what brought them here."

"I understand that travel between the Kingdoms has gotten increasingly dangerous," Ozpin quips.

"Oz," Ironwood sighs. "You and I _both_ know why I brought my men."

After a brief moment of silence, Ozpin quietly says, "Shows of power like this will give off the wrong impression."

"But if what Qrow said is true-"

"Then this certainly is not the way to handle it James," Ozpin curtly responds. "**If** what Qrow said is true, then we should be acting even more tactfully than before. Such reckless actions like this will only yield negative results."

"I'm only being cautious," Ironwood says as he gazes out the windows.

"As am I," Ozpin replies. "Which is why we must continue to train the best Huntsmen and Huntresses we can."

Ironwood finishes his tea and sets the cup down.

"Do you honestly believe that your children can win a war? Who was that _boy_ in here just earlier? Could you entrust him with such a task?" His eyes grow hard with resolve. He turns on his heels and leaves the office.

"Though that was a bad example..." Ozpin mutters. "I hope that they will never have to."

* * *

***** Library *****

The members of RWBY are currently engrossed in a fierce battle at a table. _Remnant: The Game_. They banter back and forth with seemingly made up rules.

Ren and Pyrrha quietly study at a table beside them, while Nora soundly sleeps with her head on a textbook.

Having just left Ozpin's office, Jaune silently walks up to his team's table and lightly taps Pyrrha on the shoulder, causing her to jolt in surprise.

"J-Jaune!" She yelps.

Amused, Jaune points at RWBY's table.

"What are those four up to now?"

"They are playing _Remnant: The Game_. It's a rather popular board game, though I must admit that I am not entirely familiar with its rather... convoluted rules. The basic objective is to conquer all of Remnant, playing as one of the four Kingdoms."

"A mock game of war? Jaune raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

_'How ironic that these young girls would play such a game without having any idea that we are on the brink of actual war.'_

He walks over to their table and peers over their shoulders to get an idea of how the game is played. After several moves, he has the general idea surrounding the game.

_'Interesting. Whoever made this game is clearly familiar with the concept of war. Almost anything goes so long as it falls within reason and the available resources. Aside from taking turns, this does a rather clever job of simulating war.'_

"May I play?" Jaune asks the table.

"Sorry Jaune," Ruby says apologetically. "The maximum number of players is four, and all the seats are covered."

"Do you even know how to play?" Weiss scoffs. "This game requires a certain level of tactical cunning. I doubt that you could do such a thing, given that you don't even know the rules."

"You attacked your own naval fleet two turns ago," Yang points at Weiss' noticeably smaller army compared to the rest.

Weiss coughs into her hand with a red tint on her cheeks.

"I'll have you know that I am quite well versed in the art of war," Jaune grins. "Let me play your hand for a turn."

Weiss clutches her cards close to her chest.

"I am _not_ entrusting you with the good citizens of Vacuo!"

"Why not? Don't you owe me a favor anyways? I even helped you all find Blake when she ran away after telling you all that she is a Fau-mmph."

Pyrrha's hand slaps over Jaune's mouth.

Jaune pries the hand away and sighs, "What is the big deal? Does anyone here truly care that Blake is a Faunus? If you respect her as an equal, then stop tip toeing around the issue. The less you do so, the more you are doing to aid eliminating the discrimination against the Faunus race."

Blake's eyes widen in surprise. Though at first, she was annoyed that Jaune said her secret out loud, his following point transforms the annoyance to appreciation.

_'He really does not care whether one is a Faunus or not... If only more are like him, then the world might be a different place for the Faunus.'_

Jaune lowers his head to Ruby's ear and whispers, "How's our little project coming along?"

A glint flashes across her silver eyes and gives Jaune a confident thumbs up.

"The order should be finished in a day or two. Oh, I am super excited to see it in action! You _have_ to show me once you get it!"

He nods and pats her shoulder as thanks.

"I won't be bothering you all any longer. Enjoy your mock war."

With a wave, he returns to his team's table.

* * *

***** Later that night *****

Blake silently broods on her bed, mind occupied with the White Fang's involvement with Roman Torchwick. She fails to notice Weiss approaching her.

Pointing a finger into Blake's face, Weiss declare, "You've been quiet, anti-social, and moody lately!"

"Weiss? Have you _met_ Blake?" Yang scoffs.

"It is more than the usual, and I am finding it difficult to ignore!"

Weiss puts her hands on her hips.

"You made a promise to us that you'd let us know if something was bothering you. So spit it out, Blake Belladonna. What is bothering you so much?"

Blake is rather taken aback by Weiss' strange approach at showing concern, but her heart feels warm.

"I just... have a hard time understanding how everyone is so calm. Especially after finding out that the White Fang and Torchwick are working together? Combine that with everything else happening lately. I can feel that something bigger is happening behind the scenes, but no one is doing anything about it!"

"I'm sure the police and licensed Huntsmen in the city can handle it," Yang waves a hand dismissively.

"But they don't know the White Fang like I do!"

Weiss pinches her brow and sighs, "And what exactly are we supposed to do? Allow me to kindly remind you that we are all just students! First years! Kids!" She points at Ruby.

"Hey!"

"We are **not** ready to handle this sort of situation." Weiss concludes.

"O-okay, but-" Ruby stammers.

Weiss snaps her head at Ruby and pokes her forehead with one of her slender fingers.

"We. Are. Not. Ready." She jabs her team leader's head with every word.

Blake, slightly frustrated, raises her voice.

"And we may never **be** ready! Our enemies aren't going to just sit around and wait for us to graduate. They're out there somewhere planning their next move, and no one has any idea what it is. But rest assured that it's coming, whether we are ready or not!"

Weiss tiredly sighs with her head down.

Ruby raises her hand in an attempt to grab her team's attention.

"Okay then! All in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses ever to take down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale say aye!"

Yang grins and punches a fist into a palm, itching for a good fight.

Blake nods in determination, fully on board.

Weiss looks at the rest of the team with her arms crossed, disapproval clear in her eyes.

"Come on Weiss. Shouldn't we be doing things together as a team?" Ruby tries to convince her partner.

She glances at each of her teammates, then releases a sigh of resignation.

"Fine. I'm only doing this because the rest of you are so adamant. If we're going to do this, then we might as well do it right."

Yang and Ruby pump their fists into the air while Blake gives Weiss a small smile.

Across the dorm hallway, Jaune is laying in bed with a frown, having overheard RWBY's discussion due to his enhanced senses.

_'Those troublesome girls actively seeking trouble as usual. Do they seriously believe that they are the only ones privy to the situation in Vale? How naive and rather arrogant.'_

Jaune sighs.

_'Just like at the docks, it seems that I'm on babysitting duty once again.'_

* * *

***** The following morning *****

"Oof!"

Ruby runs into someone as she's running through the hallways. She had forgotten her board game in the library. She looks up and frantically apologizes, "Sorry! Are you okay?"

The girl she had run into offers her a hand. "I'm fine. Just watch where you're going."

As Emerald helps Ruby onto her feet, Ruby introduces herself.

"Um, I'm Ruby! Are you new?"

Cinder steps out from behind Emerald. "Yes, we are transferring from Haven. For the upcoming festival." As she walks past, she gestures for Emerald and Mercury to follow.

"Maybe we'll see you around."

"Yeah, maybe!" Ruby calls out from behind them. "Oh and uh... welcome to Beacon!"

Cinder maliciously grins as she struts away.


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Weiss stares intently at the holographic clock displayed by her Scroll while Professor Port continues to ramble on about one of his many adventures.

Jaune slides himself to her side and casually asks, "Weiss, when you have the time, could I ask you some questions regarding Dust?"

When she ignores him, Jaune waves an hand in front of her face.

"Is anyone in there?"

Her eye twitches and she directs a light scowl at him. Her Scrolls beeps, signifying the end of Port's class. She brushes Jaune's hand away and promptly packs her belongings. When she stands to leave, the rest of RWBY stand as well.

Jaune lazily drawls, "Weiss~ Hello~"

She finally releases a sigh and says with her back turned towards him.

"I'm busy today. Maybe another time."

Jaune calmly watches them leave.

"What's going on with RWBY?" Pyrrha asks. "They've been oddly quiet today."

"Perhaps they stayed up late last night and are tired?" Ren suggests.

"Maybe you're right," Jaune sighs.

_'These troublesome children.'_

* * *

***** RWBY's room *****

Blake lays down with her back flat against the bed.

"I thought class would never end."

Ruby nods, then enthusiastically announces, "Okay! Today is when we formally start investigating! Everyone recite their roles!"

"Ruby and I will head to the CCT and see if we can get from SDC records regarding Dust robberies or other related incidents." Weiss puts on a smug expression. "That shouldn't be a problem for me, seeing that I'm the heiress."

Rolling her eyes, Blake says, "The White Fang holds regular faction meeting to recruit new members. If I can find out where they're holding their next meeting, I might be able to sneak in and learn what they're planning next."

"And I have an old friend near the outskirts of Vale. He typically knows everything going on in Vale," Yang mischievously grins.

"Okay! We'll meet up near Yang's location later tonight and put together the information we find."

Ruby punches the air.

"Let's do this!"

"Yeah! Let's do it!" A male voice cheers.

The four girls jolt and their heads turn towards their window.

"Sun?!" Blake exclaims.

* * *

Jaune flips a page from his book as he silently listens on the conversion across the hallway in RWBY's room.

_'You girls are getting additional people involved?' _He mentally sighs.

When RWBY leave the dorms with Sun and Neptune, Jaune snaps his book shut and grabs Crocea Mors.

_'If they are going to meet up with Yang, then I'll tail her.'_

As he walks towards the door to exit into the hallway, he pauses, then sighs.

Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha enter their room.

"Why is the window open? Did one of you open it?" Pyrrha asks. "And where is Jaune? I thought he was still in here when we'd left."

Ren's Scroll buzzes.

"It's from Jaune. It says, going out for an errand. Will be back later tonight. I think I forgot to close the windows. Sorry."

Nora shrugs.

"Our leader is pretty weird sometimes."

"No offense Nora, but that sounds a little strange coming from you of all people," Pyrrha chuckles. "But, yes, Jaune is rather eccentric at times."

* * *

Jaune locates an abandoned building with a clear view of the club Yang had arrived at with Neptune. Hiding himself in the shadows, he extends his divine sense throughout the area, ready to take action if necessary. A familiar raven lands near him, intently staring at the night club.

_'The same bird from the docks. I wouldn't mistake such red eyes,' _Jaune glances at the bird.

The raven's head tilts its head at Jaune, staring right at him.

_'Is it glaring at me?'_

Intrigued, Jaune reaches towards it, but the raven reacts instantly by hopping back and snapping at his finger with its beak.

_'How interesting,'_ Jaune muses while resisting the urge to laugh.

After about 10 minutes, Yang and Neptune exit the club, unscathed. Yang retrieves her Scroll and takes a call. It does not take long before Yang yells into the Scroll, then grabs Neptune by the collar and throws him onto her motorcycle. She quickly jumps on and speeds away towards the highways.

Jaune stands from his position and hops off the edge of the abandoned building, then lands silently on the ground. The raven takes flight and soars down onto Jaune's shoulder.

Deciding to ignore the bird for now, he blurs into motion, sprinting after Yang's trail. As he rapidly approaches the highways, he sees Blake and Run jumping between cars while fleeing from a large robot. Yang and Neptune chase closely behind.

"Idiots," Jaune scolds them under his breath. "What is the point if you're going to endanger the civilians?"

He speeds up to intercept their path, but notices Weiss and Ruby arriving to the scene as well. With the help of Weiss' glyphs, the robot tumbles over the edge of the highway streets and onto the grounds below.

_'Good.'_

Jaune diverts his path and scales a nearby building to observe. During this time, the raven stares curiously at Jaune, then looks down at the ensuing battle.

* * *

Weiss gracefully flips and twirls like a ballerina, nimbly maneuvering around the robot and dodging its attacks. She stabs Myretenaster into the ground, sending a wave of ice at the Paladin. Meanwhile, Ruby distances herself and fires several heavy rounds from her sniper barrel. When the Paladin directs its attention at Ruby, Weiss darts underneath the Paladin and freezes its feet to the ground.

Yang jumps into the air and destroys one of the Paladin's sensors with a single punch, then jumps away before it could counterattack. In the back, Weiss summons a large glyph underneath Blake, then infuses lightning Dust into it, empowering the cat Faunus with time dilation.

Blake closes her eyes to focus on her Aura, and when Weiss' time dilation is fully applied, she bursts with such speed that afterimages appear behind her. She rapidly swings her weapons as she circles the Paladin, accurately firing off Aura blades at the Paladin's remaining sensors.

As Blake harasses the Paladin, Ruby momentarily turns into a stream of rose petals, then slices at the Paladin's left shoulder joint with Crescent Rose in its war spear mode.

Feeling impatient and confident that their victory is at hand, Yang jumps atop the robot and punches it repeatedly with Ember Celica, forgoing precision and resorting to brute force.

"Reckless," Jaune sighs. "They were doing just fine systematically dismantling it. There is no need for Yang to needlessly put herself at risk."

The raven tilts its head at Jaune.

"Wouldn't you agree?" Jaune asks the bird.

The Paladin reaches up with its remaining arm and grabs Yang, then slams her into one of the many highway support columns. As she falls, the Paladin punches out and smashes her into the ground.

Though, heavily dazed and bruised, Yang stands up on her feet. Her eyes flicker from its normal lilac to a bright shade of red, and her hair seems as if it is on fire. Blake throws Gambol Shroud at Ruby, then the two run around to tie the Paladin's legs up with the ribbon. To ensure it's immobility, Weiss summons more ice to secure it into place.

Yang draws her right arm back into a heavily telegraphed punch, then strikes out at the stationary target with full force. The resulting impact shatters the joints of the Paladin, breaking it into hundreds of pieces. The operator, Roman Torchwick, tumbles through the air, before skidding across the ground to a stop. Not willing to give Roman a chance, Yang charges forward and pulls her fist back for another strike.

Jaune's eyes narrow when a multi-colored haired girl suddenly appears in front of Roman, and casually diverts Yang's fist to the side with her parasol. She smoothly steps forward, closing the distance with Yang, then quickly kicks her stomach, knocking her away.

"Yang does not stand a chance against her," Jaune observes. The raven's claws tighten around Jaune's shoulder.

_'As I thought, the one you are interested in is Yang. Combined with the fact your eye colors are identical when Yang activates her Semblance...'_

Roman says something to the girls, prompting them to attack together. Neo playfully waves at them with a childish grin before she and Roman shatter into pieces, leaving the area underneath the highways empty. As Jaune stands up to return to Breacon, the raven makes a noise, causing his head to turn towards it. When he does, the raven pecks Jaune's forehead with full force, causing him to curse.

Before he could grab it, the raven had already flown off into the distance. Jaune rubs his forehead as he stares at the bird flying away. The peck did not hurt in the slightest, but it caught him by surprise.

_'That raven has no ill intent towards Yang. Rather, it seems to appear whenever she is in a potentially dangerous situation.'_

* * *

***** The following day *****

Jaune lazily watches Pyrrha systematically defeat the members of CRDL in a 1 vs 4 match. After the incident of the Forever Fall trip, the members of CRDL began to take their training more seriously, and their teamwork improved considerably in the last few weeks. Against most other teams, they would have likely been victorious, but Pyrrha is an outlier. A rare prodigy who has continuously worked hard for the past decade. Such a gap can not be overcome in a short period of time. CRDL stood no chance.

"And that is the match," Glynda announces. "Well done Miss Nikos. You should have no problem in the Tournament based on that performance."

Pyrrha politely bows.

"Thank you, Professor."

Glynda taps her Scroll, then looks up at the stands.

"We have time for one final match. Are there any volunteers?"

A hand shoots up.

"I'll do it."

"Mercury is it?" Glynda adjusts her glasses. "Very well then. Let's find you a suitable opponent."

"Actually, if possible..." Mercury points at Pyrrha. "I'd like to fight her."

Glynda shoots him a stern look.

"I'm afraid that Miss Nikos has just finished a match. I recommend you choose another."

"No, it's fine," Pyrrha insists. "I'd be happy to oblige."

Mercury smirks, then jumps down from the stands onto the arena. Pyrrha takes her position on the opposite end.

Annoyed, Glynda sighs and signals the start of the match.

"Begin!"

Mercury sprints forward and sends a flurry of low and high kicks at Pyrrha's shield arm. Up in the stands, Jaune leans forward in interest.

_'None of those kicks are fully committed. He is probing for an opening.'_

As she blocks Mercury's rapid kicks, she intentionally lets him kick her weapon into the ground. Taking advantage of the opening, Mercury kicks at her side. In response, she leans back and activates her Semblance, moving the metal in his shoes to redirect his kick. As Pyrrha reaches out to retrieve her weapon with her Semblance for a surprise attack, Mercury jumps onto her shield and kicks off. He skids to a stop and dramatically sighs.

"I forfeit."

Jaune's eyes narrow.

_'His goal was to gather information on Pyrrha. Did he figure out her Semblance?'_

He mentally shakes his head at Pyrrha's decision to needlessly reveal her ability, no matter how subtle.

_'That was sloppy, Pyrrha.'_

Pyrrha, looking surprised, annoyed, and disappointed, asks, "You... don't even want to try?"

Mercury shrugs, feeling no embarassment.

"What's the point? You're a world renowned fighter. We're _obviously_ leagues apart."

_'Hmm... what team is this fellow on again?'_

"Then perhaps next time, you may want to think a little harder before choosing an opponent," Glynda curtly says.

"That is all the the time we have for today. Everyone, remember that the dance is this upcoming Sunday. Additionally, the following day on Monday will be your first official training mission in the field alongside a professional Huntsmen. Remember to rest up and prepare, as the Vytal Festival Tournament will begin in exactly one week."

The student excitedly whisper and bustle with anticipation. Without a doubt, this is the greatest time of the year.

"You are all dismissed."

* * *

***** Later that night *****

The clash of metal can be heard on the dorm rooftop, as Jaune and Pyrrha are engaged in a sparring match. Pyrrha relentlessly stabs and slashes with her weapon, while Jaune dodges them with subtle movements or softly deflects them with the handle of Crocea Mors. As she presses on, Jaune intentionally shows an opening, and Pyrrha capitalizes by kicking his torso, knocking him back. She charges forward and swings her weapon at Jaune's neck, stopping just before making contact. She looks down at the pommel of Crocea Mors poking her stomach. The two pull away from each other.

"Not bad," Jaune comments as he sits down.

She sits by his side and chuckles, "I could say the same to you, though I could tell you intentionally let me hit you. Why don't you fight at this level during the sparring matches in Professor Goodwitche's classes?"

"Ever since my match against CRDL, there have been students and professors alike keeping a close eye on me. By keeping my level more or less the same as then, they will not be privy to my true strength. In the end, it will be an advantage for us in the Tournament. I also do not desire excessive attention," Jaune responds.

"That is... very sly of you," Pyrrha tilts her head.

"You won't call it dishonorable?" Jaune grins.

"No, of course not," Pyrrha shakes her head. "Information is a valuable resource in any battle."

She sighs, "Though, I can strongly relate to your desire in avoiding unwanted attention. Though for me, at this point, there is little I can do about it."

Jaune places a hand on her shoulder and gives her a sympathetic look.

"If that is the case, then you wouldn't mind taking my share?"

Pyrrha's eyes widen, then begins to laugh.

"You jerk."

As they share a laugh, Pyrrha nervously glances at Jaune and begins fidgeting with her fingers.

"Jaune? H-have you considered about who you're going to the dance with?"

Jaune brings a hand up to his chin.

"Hmm... perhaps I have someone in mind. What about you? Surely there are many boys looking to court you?"

She looks down and bitterly chuckles, "I think you'd be surprised."

"That is rather unfortunate. It will be their loss then."

Jaune stands up onto his feet, then extends a hand down towards her.

"Pyrrha Nikos, will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance?" He gently smiles.

Pyrrha's eyes are wide open and she remains frozen in her seat, unable to think coherently due to shock.

Jaune slightly retracts his hand and feigns a hurt expression.

"Is that a no?"

"No!"

Pyrrha exclaims, then tightly grabs Jaune's hand with both of hers.

"I accept! I would love to go to the dance with you!"

Jaune pulls her up to her feet.

"Then come, partner. It is getting late and we should return to our room."

"Y-yes. That is a great idea," she stutters, but a bright smile decorates her face.

As they walk, there is a slight skip in her steps.

_'I might as well enjoy myself as a teenage boy while the opportunity exists.'_

* * *

***** Team Cinder *****

"And finally, Pyrrha Nikos."

"The invincible girl", Cinder responds.

"She's good and smart, but I wouldn't say invincible," Mercury smugly comments.

"Do tell."

"Her Semblance is polarity, but you'd never know from watching," says Emerald.

"After she made contact with my boots, she was able to move them around. However, she only made slight adjustments. Just enough to make it look like she's untouchable."

Cinder chuckles to herself.

"People assume she's fated for victory, when in reality she's taking fate into her own hands. Interesting."

She glances at Emerald.

"You missed one. Pyrrha Nikos' team leader. Jaune is his name I believe? What do you have on him?"

"Oh right. Almost forgot about him." Emerald apologizes. "Like Pyrrha Nikos, he was able to take down CRDL on his own earlier this year. Based on what we've heard, his Semblance is creating invisible blasts of Aura."

"Hmm... shouldn't be of any concern then."

* * *

Jaune lays quietly in his bed with a water Dust crystal held in his hands beneath the bed covers. In his mind, he sits with his legs crossed in front of the Paifang gateway.

_'Dust. It is unrefined energy of the cosmos. Fire, water, lightning, earth, gravity, and many more. The different types of Dust each contain a sliver of essence of whatever they represent. The residents of this world use Dust primarily as power sources for their various types of technology, but what a waste that is. If properly utilized to its fullest potential, Dust should be able to be used as both materials for crafting various types of treasures, or resources to fuel one's cultivation.'_

His divine sense envelops the water Dust crystal

_'If my conjecture is correct, I should be able to purify and extract the pure essence from within this Dust crystal, and use the energy to feed my divine art that is crucial for the upcoming tribulation.'_

The divine sense is molded into a spike, which pierces into the crystal from all sides, then grinds away at the energy, separating the essence from the impurities. He pushes the purified essence out from the crystal, turning it to a dull gray color, and absorbs the energy into his palm.

A small sphere of deep blue energy hovers before him. Water essence.

_'Good.' _Jaune's eyes brighten with excitement. _'I can officially begin the development of the Five Principles.'_

_'The Five Principles consists of four minor parts that make up the whole. __The **Grand Divide Azure Dragon**_, the _**Piercing the Heavens White Tiger**_, the _**Eternal Domain of the Black Tortoise**_, and the _**Everlasting Heart Vermillion Bird**_. In the center governing the four is the _**Regal **__**Yellow Dragon**. This is a supreme divine art that I'd been enlightened with during my previous life. I wonder how far I can go in this life?'_

Jaune flicks his hand, condensing the water essence into a thin, concentrated strand.

_'What I need is the **Eternal Domain of the Black Tortoise**. It is a supreme defensive art, and even a tiny sliver of its capabilities would greatly increase my survivability.'_

He points his finger.

_'The Black Tortoise embodies the element of water and Winter. Its seven mansions are the Dipper, Ox, Girl, Emptiness, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall. In its presence, all forms of aggression falls short, for it is eternal. In the North it slumbers.'_

A mighty tortoise entwined by a serpent manifests from the water essence. It stirs to life and the tortoise release a long, rumbling hiss. Jaune pushes his palm out, sending his creation to the uppermost section of the Paifang gateway, inscribing it onto the mirrored surface.

In the real world, Jaune slightly flexes his body.

_'At the moment, the sigil is faint but stable. It will be in such a state until I inscribe the remaining three. Even so, the durability of my body has naturally been bolstered to a great degree due to this success. Though prolonged usage of Black Tortoise qi is impossible at my current strength, it should be possible to use it in instantaneous bursts, and will be a trump card to preserving my life.'_

He sighs in satisfaction and slips back into meditation.


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

***** The day before the dance *****

Ruby hops in place while looking at the object in Jaune's hand.

"Give me a demonstration! Show me, show me, show me!" Ruby excitedly demands.

Jaune hefts his scabbard, checking its balance and finding it satisfactory.

With the press of a button, he expands it into its standard shield form.

"Sure, I'll give you a little demo."

When he twists the shield grip. The gears and mechanisms within the shield orientates it by 90 degrees, making the bottom of his shield parallel with his arm. The grip expands and wraps around Jaune's hand like a glove.

He points the shield at a nearby target and activates the Dust within the shield with his Aura. Glowing purple, the shield begins to hover above the back of his hand and splits into multiple segmented blades. With the flick of a finger, one of the segments launches out like a bullet, deeply embedding itself into the target.

_'A little too much strength. Then what about this?'_

He gesture with his fingers once again, this time, the remaining segments all fly out at simultaneously. Adjusting his control, he directs the storm of blades to shred the wooden target into neat pieces. With a final gesture, the blades fly back at Jaune and circle around him before reforming his shield.

Ruby watches with her mouth dropped.

"That is such a cool way to use gravity Dust! The amount of control you'd need to do what you did is amazing! I doubt any of the students in Beacon has that degree of control. Maybe Weiss or Blake, but I don't think they have enough Aura."

Her head tilts curiously.

"But... why use this over your Semblance?"

_'My Semblance?' _Jaune raises an eyebrow.

_'Ah... she also believes that my Aura projectiles is my Semblance. Is this what everyone believes my Semblance to be? Then perhaps I should entertain them as such.'_

"Take a guess," Jaune says.

Ruby crosses her arms and takes several moments to think, then claps her hands together.

"Even though Dust activation requires Aura, it shouldn't be as much as you use with your Semblance. So, if you'd rather be conservative and maintain a similar style of combat, this is a good alternative."

Jaune ruffles and pats her hair, much to her dismay.

"You got it. But don't go telling everyone what my shield can do. I'd prefer it to be a surprise for the Tournament."

Ruby slaps his hand away and pouts, "Can't make any promises about telling my team. I helped you design it after all."

"Fair enough," Jaune sighs. He glances down at his friend.

"Do you have a partner for the dance yet? You do realize that it is tomorrow?"

She looks down at her feet and shuffles them nervously.

"Er... no..."

She looks up and flashes a forced smile.

"It's okay though. I'm not used to social events anyways. Besides, no one would want to ask someone like me, who's two years younger."

Her voice grows quiet by the end.

Jaune consoles her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"How about this? You're all aware that Pyrrha is my partner for the dance. I will ask her, and if she is okay with it, you are going to give me a dance tomorrow."

"Uh-" Ruby's face grows slightly red.

"Really? You'd do that? But, I don't know how to dance."

"The point is to have fun and enjoy yourself," Jaune chuckles. "You are the first friend I made at Beacon. There is no way I'm letting you stand alone in the corner while everyone else is enjoying themselves."

Her eyes widen.

"How did you know I was going to hide in a corner?"

"I'd bet 100 Lien that you were planning on lounging next to the beverage table," Jaune grins.

"How did you-"

Ruby slaps a hand over her mouth.

Jaune can not help but bark in laughter.

"You were truly planning on doing that?"

While her face burns red from embarrassment, Ruby dashes out from the training room.

Before she exits, she yells, "Fine! You're the one who said. You owe me a dance and don't you regret it!"

Jaune's smile slowly turns to a melancholic one as he watches Ruby speed away.

* * *

***** The night of the dance *** **

Moonlight spills through the clouds while hundreds of excited students dressed in formal attire make their way towards the ballroom. Among those students is Pyrrha with her arm wrapped around Jaune's. Her long dress tightly fits against her figure, revealing her body's natural curves. A side slit on the right side displays her long model legs. Her hair, normally tied into a pony tail, has been set loose, spilling behind her like luscious silk of the finest quality. Without her armor and battle attire, Pyrrha Nikos is truly an exceptional beauty. Countless heads of both male and female students turn towards her and Jaune as they pass by.

"Wow... who is that?"

"She's so pretty..."

"I'm jealous... Is she even wearing any makeup?"

"Isn't that Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Really? No way!"

"If I knew, then I wouldn't have chickened out!"

"Who's that guy next to her?!"

"Lucky dude... Screw him."

Jaune chuckles at the various whispers and comments.

"Perhaps you've gone a bit overboard, Pyrrha. Apparently, many of the male student population now want me dead."

Pyrrha giggles, "I'm sure it's just your imagination."

She looks over him in appreciation, taking in his handsome features while dressed in a standard tuxedo.

"Your simplistic approach in your attire selection is rather refreshing."

Her eyes glance at some of the flamboyantly dressed boys to demonstrate her point.

"Jaune! Pyrrha!"

The two turn around to see Ruby wobbling towards them in high heels. Her dress is an elegant, yet simple red dress with white accents. Tied around her waist is a large bow made of black silk, accentuating her dress's charm. Affixed above her ear is a piece of jewelry in the shape of a small red rose.

"Good evening Ruby," Pyrrha smiles. "You look wonderful."

"Y-you think so?" Ruby blushes, looking quite happy from the compliment. "You look beautiful too, Pyrrha."

Jaune nods.

"You've done a good job dressing up to highlight your charming points, rather than overcompensate with the outfit. Come on, we should get in before it gets too crowded."

* * *

Jaune and Pyrrha hold and match each other's footsteps to the waltz music. The two smoothly transition into various turns and steps, partly credited by their constant sparring matches. As the music concludes, Jaune spins Pyrrha in his arms and gracefully dips her backwards while supporting her back with a hand.

Deciding to take a small break, they head out onto an empty balcony. Pyrrha peacefully gazes up at the sky while breathing in the night air.

"The sky is beautiful tonight."

Pyrrha turns to face Jaune and gives him a genuine smile of joy.

"And tonight is one of the best of my life."

"So far," Jaune points out.

"No, you don't understand. This night is a memory I will treasure forever," Pyrrha smiles with some sadness.

"Ever since I could remember, I've been blessed with incredible talent and opportunity compared to others. I was constantly surrounded by love and praise, but after a while, it became an untouchable pedestal. Everyone... aside from my family, just assumes that I'm too good for them, it was impossible for genuine relationships to form. There was always a layer of formality that was not present when they spoke with their other friends."

Her eyes meet Jaune's.

"That changed when I came to Beacon, and met you."

Her voice slightly trembles.

"Do you remember when we'd first met? You didn't even know my name. You even brushed me off in the locker room. Do you have any idea how much that meant to me? To be treated as normal? It was so refreshing. And thanks to you, I've finally made friendships that can last a lifetime."

She closes her eyes and recites with a gentle smile.

"Nora, Ren, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake,... and you."

"When you asked me out to the dance, I thought I was dreaming. All of my anxiety was washed away by such a simple thing. After all, you're the one I wished to be here with. Someone who saw me for who I am. Not Pyrrha Nikos the celebrity, or Mistral Champion."

Jaune can not help but feel touched by such a heartfelt confession. He is fully aware that opening up like this to him was not something done on a whim, but is an expression of absolute trust that took a lot of courage to do so.

_'When I'd lost Ying'er, my life was nothing but constant torment. She was my everything. The path of cultivation was a coping method to numb the pain. I lied, killed, stole, and became utterly ruthless during my younger years. I'd mellowed out over the years, but still... even until when I embraced death, I'd always preferred to keep to myself.' _

Some doubt creeps into Jaune's heart.

_'I care for the safety of my friends at Beacon, but like in my previous life, I maintain a certain distance from them. Pyrrha has just poured her heart out to me. Am I deserving of such a thing?'_

With some hesitation, Jaune reaches out and cups the side of Pyrrha's cheek with his palm.

"Thank you," he gently whispers.

Pyrrha reaches up and holds Jaune's hand against her face.

_'It's warm...'_

After about a minute, Pyrrha finally seems to realize the position they are in and her face instantly flushes red.

"I-I'm going to go inside for some refreshments," she stammers and turns on her heels to briskly walk back inside.

Jaune continues to smile at her back as she clumsily rushes away. He turns his head towards the curtains next to the balcony exit.

"Can I help you with something? Neptune, I believe is your name?"

Neptune awkwardly steps out while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Uh, hello. Name's Jaune, right?"

Jaune quickly scans the ballroom, finding Weiss sitting alone at a table.

"What brings you out here all alone? Didn't you come to the dance with Weiss? If I recall, she went out of her way to ask you."

"It uh... it just didn't work out, you know?" Neptune tries to play it off.

Jaune gives him a cold, calculating stare.

"I would strongly suggest you try again."

Neptune feels a wave of cold sweat wash down his back.

"I... I can't dance!" He looks down at his feet in shame.

_'This boy is an idiot...'_ Jaune mentally sighs to himself.

"Is your brain just an accessory?" Jaune asks.

The blue-haired teen looks up in surprise that someone he'd just met would hit him with such a brutal comment.

"You'd deny someone's advances in such crude way because you can not dance? Here is my suggestion to you, and I highly recommend you take it to heart. Weiss Schnee absolutely despises when someone is not being true to themselves. Go and talk to her without your usual act. I can guarantee you that she will appreciate the gesture. You are interested in her, are you not?"

"Well, yeah. I guess she'd pretty cool," Neptune mumbles.

"Then go. You'll find her on the Eastern side of the ballroom."

Neptune thinks for a moment, then looks back at Jaune appreciatively.

"Thanks Jaune. You're actually a pretty cool guy."

Jaune waves a hand dismissively before looking Neptune coldly in the eyes.

"By the way. Whatever you saw or heard between Pyrrha and I never happened. You will not say a word of it to another soul. Ignore my singular warning, and I will personally cut out your tongue."

Jaune gives Neptune a small smile.

"Do you understand?"

Officially scared for his life, Neptune manages to stutter out, "Y-yeah man! Loud and clear! I mean, I don't know what you're talking about!"

He nervously laughs, "Nothing happened here. Nope!"

Then he sprints back into the ballroom.

* * *

When Jaune re-enters the ballroom, he notices that Pyrrha is conversing with Yang and Blake. Whatever the subject is causes Pyrrha to blush and cover her face with her hands, while Blake and Yang pat her back with teasing smiles.

_'I'll leave that to them...'_

He scans the room, and locates Ruby with Ren and Nora at a food table. When Ren notices Jaune approaching, he grabs Nora's arm and drags her towards the dancing area. As they pass each other, Ren gives Jaune a silent nod.

_'What a reliable guy.'_

Jaune strolls up to Ruby and grins.

"Are you ready to dance?"

Ruby nearly drops her plate of food, starting to regret her declaration from the day before.

"O-of course I'm ready! Ready as I'll ever be! Yeah..." She nervously laughs.

Despite being thoroughly amused by her reaction, Jaune extends an olive branch.

"How about grabbing some fresh air first?"

"That sounds great!" Ruby's head perks up and hastily walks towards the exit before Jaune could change his mind.

* * *

Ruby takes a few deep breaths.

"Feeling better now?" Jaune asks with an amused smile.

"Actually, yeah-"

Ruby's eyes suddenly narrow and she points behind Jaune.

"Who's that?"

Even before Ruby said anything, Jaune had already noticed. A shadowed figure silently jumps across the rooftops towards Beacon Tower.

"Ruby, we're going," Jaune's says in a low voice.

Nodding, she says, "We need to check it out."

The two of them begin to sprint towards the tower. As they run, Jaune remembers.

_'My weapon is in my room. If we end up engaging in combat, I'll have to improvise.'_

When they arrive near the entrance of Beacon Tower, they find the guards knocked out cold and bleeding. Alarmed, Ruby dials in her code on her Scroll for her weapon locker. Within seconds, a rocket powered locker crashes into the courtyard and opens up to reveal Crescent Rose.

"Why aren't you calling your locker?"

"Unfortunately, Crocea Mors is in my room," Jaune replies as they run through the courtyard. "I will be fine. My close combat skills are nothing to scoff at."

Though slightly worried, Ruby nods, as there is little time to waste. Jaune leads the charge, constantly scanning their surroundings with his divine sense as they enter Beacon Tower. Ruby casts a concerned look at all the injured guards.

The elevator door opens and the two quickly jump in. As it rapidly rises through the levels, Jaune instructs Ruby.

"I know you are worried about the guards, but you must focus on the task at hand. You understand, right?"

Ruby takes a deep breath, and nods.

"Whoever incapacitated those guards is skilled and did it with great precision and no hesitation. Currently, we hold the element of surprise. Follow my lead and provide backup when I engage. Our goal is to capture whoever is up there on the communications floor, and hand him or her over to Ozpin for interrogation."

She nods in affirmation, but notes the implications of Jaune's words.

_'To even mention that capturing is the goal implies that not capturing was a possibility. But that would've meant...'_

She gulps and shakes her head to dispel such thoughts.

As the elevators slows to a stop, Jaune scans the entire floor, locating a figure crouched behind one of the many service desks. When the doors slide open, Jaune blurs into motion and converges directly onto the intruder's location.

* * *

Cinder gasps in surprise and rolls to the side, dodging Jaune's foot stomp. Ruby follows up with a swing of her scythe. Narrowing her eyes, Cinder reaches into a hidden pocket and disperses a vial of ice Dust powder, then fires several icicles at Ruby.

Ruby kicks off the ground and twirls her weapon, blocking the projectiles.

In the meantime, Jaune closes his distance on Cinder and strikes her on the shoulder with his fist. She grunts and kicks at him, trying to create some distance. Jaune sidesteps and grabs her extended leg with a hand, then yanks Cinder towards him.

With his other hand, he fiercely strikes her abdomen with a palm, sending her flying through the air and into one of the support columns.

Cinder's back slams into the concrete pillar and collapses onto the floor. She swallows the mouthful of blood threatening to erupt from her throat. Her eyes are wide with disbelief. She swerves her head to the side, narrowly dodging a Dust round from Ruby's sniper rifle. The force of the round cracks the side of her mask, revealing one of her eyes. She conjures Aura into her clothing and materializes a black glass bow in her hand.

With practiced precision, she knocks back several glass arrows and fires them all at Jaune, who is currently sprinting towards her.

Without slowing down a single step, Jaune cuts the arrows away with a finger.

_'Just because I do not have a sword does not mean I can not utilize sword techniques.'_

Jaune leaps into the air and conjures a large amount of Aura into his sword finger, intent on finishing the fight with the next blow. As he's in midair, the elevator doors begin to slide open. With a gleam in her eye, Cinder quickly fires several glass arrows at the elevator door.

_'Ruby won't react in time.'_

Mentally cursing, he twists himself in midair and fires off Aura blades from his finger to intercept and destroy the arrows. When he twists back around, the intruder is nowhere to be found.

He lands on the ground and turns to face Ironwood.

* * *

Cinder stumbles through a hallway with a clear limp in her steps. She quickly discards two bracelets and the remains of her mask, switching from her stealth suit into an elegant black dress. She quickly locates Mercury in the ballroom.

"How did it go?" Mercury asks. His eyebrow raises when Cinder does not respond immediately, and her breathing is quite heavy.

After several minutes, she glares into Mercury's eyes.

"It would seem that the information you and Emerald provided on Jaune Arc was grossly inaccurate. If it were not due to luck, I would have been forced to use the Maiden powers in order to escape, which would have jeopardized our mission," she hisses.

Mercury gulps in trepidation.

"Will... we need to change our plans?"

"No..." Cinder narrows her eyes. "I was able to complete tonight's task. Once I finally get what rightfully belongs to me, no one in Beacon will be able to stop me."


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

***** Early next morning *****

"They were here Ozpin. They were HERE!"

Ironwood slams his fist on Ozpin's desk.

"We're very much aware of that! Thank you James," Glynda curtly responds.

"Fantastic! Great that we're on the same page! Are we going to do anything about it or should we just stay the course and ignore what's _right_ in front of us?!" Ironwood yells.

The elevator sounds and Jaune walks in with Ruby nervously following close behind. The two stop in front of Ozpin's desk with Ruby fidgeting anxiously, while Jaune displays no sign of discomfort.

Ironwood steps forward.

"Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc. I feel that it's appropriate to let you two know that I think you did exactly what being Huntsmen and Huntresses is all about. You two recognized a potential threat and took action."

Jaune's expression remains neutral and silent, while Ruby feels it's necessary to respond.

"U-uh, thank you! Sir."

"We've already been informed by the General of the event that transpired last night. We are wondering if you two have anything to add," Ozpin says.

"I-I... don't know. She was wearing a mask and there was just so much happening at once that I couldn't get a good look," Ruby quietly responds.

"Bright amber eyes," Jaune says. "Hair color is ash black and stands at a height of about 5 feet 11 inches. Skin complexion is on the paler side and prefers to use glass in combat. She is much more comfortable attacking from a range, though her close combat is not terrible. Honestly, these traits aren't exactly unique aside from the glass."

"Her clothes also lit up," Ruby adds.

Glynda's eyes narrow.

"That sounds like the woman I'd faced on the night we'd met Ruby."

At that comment, Jaune tilts a head at Ruby, who whispers under her breath.

"I'll tell you about that later."

"It is possible that this woman is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang, though we lack conclusive evidence to link the two. In either case, thank you for your cooperation Ruby. Why don't you go and spend time with your team? I'd like Jaune to stay behind to provide some more information on the intruder," Ozpin nods.

Jaune nods at Ruby.

"Go on. You have a mission to prepare for."

* * *

As soon as Ruby leaves, Jaune's eyes harden and he casts a deathly glare at Ozpin. The air in the room instantly grows heavy.

"Jaune! What is the meaning of this?!" Glynda demands.

"Should I not be asking you three the same?" Jaune coldly replies.

"What do you mean by that?" Ozpin asks, concerned.

Jaune points a finger at Ironwood.

"His outburst before Ruby and I'd arrived here. It has come to my attention that you have a few things to clarify. Who are _they_ and what is their objective? Do not think that you can dodge the issue by claiming it is solely for the Fall Maiden."

Ironwood's eyes widen and he turns towards Ozpin, incredulous.

"You told him?! Are you out of your mind Ozpin?!"

_'Also, how the hell did he hear me?'_

"Apparently, he did not tell me enough," Jaune responds. "As this is a rather delicate point in time, I would appreciate it greatly if you provide me all relevant information. I'd made the mistake of assuming that you were all in the dark of the enemy's identity, but clearly, that is not the case."

Ozpin takes a moment to gather his thoughts and deeply sighs.

"Very well. Based on the current information available to us, the Fall Maiden is most definitely one of their primary objectives. However, it is not their end goal."

"Ozpin!" Ironwood yells. "You are not seriously going to tell him abou-"

"James," Ozpin says as he knocks his cane against the ground. "Jaune... has every right to know. It was my mistake for not telling him earlier. He is trustworthy, so let me remedy my mistake. Trust me on this."

Ironwood remains silent and sizes up Jaune, searching for any signs of deceit.

"Fine. Only because you vouch for him."

Ozpin turns his attention back towards Jaune.

"Though the Maidens are incredibly powerful, and thus, greatly capable of defending the masses from the forces of evil, they have another crucial role. They act as keys for certain items that have been sealed away. We call them Relics. These items are incredibly dangerous in the wrong hands, as they have the power to change the world as we know it. Corresponding with the number of Maidens, there are four Relics in total: Knowledge, Creation, Destruction, and Choice. Each of them are sealed inside of a Vault, and each Maiden can only open their respective Vault."

_'Four Maidens. Four Relics. Four Huntsmen Academies.'_

"Can I assume that under each Huntsmen Academy is a Vault to house a Relic?"

"Yes," Ozpin nods. "Your assumption is spot on. The Relic housed by Beacon is the Relic of Choice, and it can only be unsealed by the power of the Fall Maiden."

"And the enemy?" Jaune asks with his arms crossed.

Ozpin sighs, "We can not be 100% certain of the enemy's identity, but we have a very good idea. The Grimm have a master of sorts, and her name is Salem. At this point, we suspect that the intruder from last night is one of Salem's agents."

_'Salem?'_

"And what is your plan to deal with this situation? Were you able to determine anything else from last night?"

Ironwood steps forward to take over.

"Several of my scientists have found traces of an unknown virus uploaded into the Beacon CCT network. The virus has embedded itself into the surveillance system, and should be isolated and purged by the end of today."

"Then?"

"We'll use as many of my troops as necessary to strengthen the city defenses, and expend more resources into surveillance. If and when the enemy show themselves, we can strike hard and fast to eradicate them."

"Of course," Glynda curtly responds. "Why must you always answer everything with triumphant displays of military bravado?"

"Shows of strength are not necessary bad. However, showing all of your cards like this is risky, especially if the enemy is expecting such a response," Jaune warns.

"Yes, we should err on the side of caution," Ozpin nods. "We do not know for certain their final move, so we mustn't be too bold."

Though clearly unconvinced, Ironwood stiffly replies, "Fine. But sitting here and waiting for something to happen does not sit well with me."

"Of course it doesn't," Glynda sarcastically remarks.

"If this is all you'll want from me, I'll be heading back down. Until next time Professors. General."

Jaune politely bows and leaves the room.

* * *

***** JNPR Dorms *****

"Gahhh! Why do we have to wait to start out mission, while RWBY got to go on theirs this morning?!" Nora screams in frustration.

"It can not be helped. There are not enough bullheads to accommodate everyone, so they allocated the more critical missions to the front of the queue," Ren calmly responds. "Unfortunately for us, ours is not time sensitive, thus why we've been moved back to a later departure."

"Besides, with the incident in the CCT, I'm sure Jaune appreciates the extra time to rest while Ruby has no such luxury," Pyrrha chuckles.

"I apologize for suddenly disappearing without notice," Jaune bows to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha puts her hands up.

"N-no it's fine! You did what any proper Huntsmen would have done. In fact, I would have expected nothing less from you and Ruby. It is an example all of us should strive to follow."

Jaune gives her a small smile.

"Still, I want to apologize."

"Uugh, why don't you two just get together already?" Nora scoffs.

Pyrrha's face turns to a deep shade of red.

"Look who's talking," Jaune retorts with a grin.

Nora's eyes widen and she begins to sputter about "not together together" and "just friends".

"In the meantime, why don't we spend some time as a team to train for the Tournament?" Jaune suggests.

"G-good idea!"

Nora grabs the back of Ren's collar and drags him out of the room. Jaune and Pyrrha exchange amused looks before following behind.

* * *

As JNPR make their way towards the training facilities, Jaune sees CFVY in the distance. He instantly notices the heavy air around them.

"Team CFVY seem to have just returned from their prolonged mission. We should greet them."

Velvet downcast eyes brighten momentarily when she notices Jaune making his way towards them, but the memories from their latest mission quickly extinguishes her uplifted spirit.

"Velvet, is everything alright?" Concern laces Jaune's voice.

"I'm fine... Yatsuhashi was looking out for me," she replies in a low voice.

"Your mission was supposed to end last week. Just what happened out there?" Pyrrha asks.

Velvet averts her eyes.

"Nothing happened..."

_'Hmm... I see.'_

"Velvet," Jaune softly calls out. "Was this the first time you'd witnessed the reality and brutality of death?"

Her brown eyes widen and she involuntarily shudders.

Jaune sighs and pats her head, between her rabbit ears, reducing her shivering. By this point, the rest of CFVY notice the commotion behind them.

"Hey Jaune. Pyrrha," Coco greets, albeit without much energy.

"We drove off as much as we could, but so many... so many villagers," Velvet whispers. "That cave... we couldn't save that family."

Coco's eyes widen behind her sunglasses, and she tightly clenches a hand.

Jaune narrows his eyes with concern.

_'Fox and Yatsuhashi, I am not familiar with either of them. However, based on Coco's reaction and Velvet's current state of mind, I should assume the two male members are experiencing similar issues. Self doubt... It is a fatal poison to the hearts of warriors if untreated.'_

"We are currently going to the training rooms. If you have the time, I would highly suggest you join us," Jaune says.

Coco breathes out and replies with a grim expression.

"Good. We've been looking to blow off some steam."

* * *

***** A few hours later *****

Yatsuhashi and Fox collapse onto the ground in exhaustion, gasping for air, while Jaune casually stands across from them with his hands behind his back.

"What... the hell... are you?" Yatsuhashi gasps out between breaths.

"Monster..." Fox shudders.

"They couldn't touch him a single time. Are you kidding me?" Coco mutters in disbelief. "And it was a 2 vs 1. Are you sure you're not your team's ace? No offense to Pyrrha."

"None taken," Pyrrha chuckles. "We've been well aware that Jaune has been holding back for quite some time. But... I did not realize to what extent."

She gives Jaune a slightly accusatory look.

"If it makes you feel any better, you are the best among the first years, and possibly even the second years," Jaune chuckles. "This is excluding me of course."

Pyrrha sticks her tongue out in response.

On the side, Velvet reviews still images and footage on her camera, carefully looking over Jaune's spar against Yatsuhashi and Fox.

Jaune peers over her side.

"Studying?"

Velvet jumps, not realizing that Jaune had walked up behind her.

_'I didn't hear a thing when he approached...'_

"Why a camera? Wouldn't most use their Scroll instead?" He asks.

"Well... it's for my Semblance," Velvet replies.

Coco raises an eyebrow.

"You're going to tell him? For all you know, you could be giving him key information for our victory if we ever end up facing him in the Tournament."

Fox loudly scoffs in disagreement.

"What? You got something to say?" Coco shoots him a glare. "All I'm saying is that we'll need all the advantages we can take, given that he just laid you and Yatsuhashi out without getting hit a _single _time... Actually... I see your point."

"It's okay," Velvet nods. "I trust him."

She takes a small breath, then looks up at Jaune's eyes.

"My Semblance is photographic memory. Basically, I am able to memorize and copy the fighting styles of others with just a glance. I guess you could think of it as muscle memory taken to the extreme. I take pictures and videos for two reasons. One, I do it to supplement my existing knowledge, and two, my camera is linked to Anesidora, which can create copies of weapons with hard light Dust. Though... I try not to use it too often as hard light Dust is rather rare and expensive compared to the other types."

_'After all this time, she has not chosen a main style of fighting? That is a rather questionable decision. It seems that her Semblance has ended up causing more confusion than helping when it comes to fighting. From what I am hearing, if utilized properly, her Semblance's practicality is exceptional.'_

Jaune asks, "Are there any limitations as to what you are able to mimic?"

"Hey, she already gave you enough information. You trying to fish for more?" Coco narrows her eyes.

Jaune brings a hand up.

"You misunderstand. The reason I ask is because I have something in mind for her to try and learn. It would also verify the potency of her mimicry, of whether or not it is just surface level."

Velvet thinks for a moment, then explains, "The only limitation I can think of is my own physical abilities. If I don't have the endurance and flexibility required, I wouldn't be able to execute the style I'm mimicking properly."

"What are you planning to teach her?" Pyrrha asks Jaune curiously.

Jaune smiles.

"It is the reason why Yatsuhashi and Fox were unable to come close to touching me during our spar."

"What?!" Everyone exclaims.

"A-are you sure? To give out such a valuable thing..." Velvet's eyes widen.

"Though I say teach, it is more of a demonstration. This technique is not something that can easily be explained with words, but relies on the individual's insight and talent. I'm hoping that Velvet's Semblance will aid her in learning it much easier than most."

Jaune walks towards an open area of the training room they are in.

"Feel free to record this. I will start slowly, then gradually speed up."

Everyone simultaneously take out their respective recording devices and aim them towards Jaune.

With serene eyes, Jaune begins to walk. Each step he takes echoes throughout the training room. After several moments, Coco, unable to help herself, whispers to JNPR.

"What is he doing? He's just walking around."

Nora shrugs, while Ren and Pyrrha return Coco equally confused looks.

"Maybe he's warming himself up?" Yatsuhashi suggests.

"No," Velvet whispers with her eyes fixated on Jaune. "It's already begun."

They look back at Jaune, who still continues to walk in a circle, but now, there is a distinct haziness around his figure. He looks as if he is moving in slow motion, but the rapidly accelerating sound of footsteps overlapping each other other suggests otherwise. Like ink spreading over canvas, Jaune's figure continues to blur, until soon, he becomes nothing but a stream of color. The sound of his footsteps resonates with everyone's heartbeat, and the room itself seems to vibrate. Then, the stream disappears and all noise fades away to nothing, leaving the open area barren and empty.

"What just happened? Where did he go?!" Coco exclaims in shock.

"This is a movement technique that I incorporate into all aspects of my combat," Jaune's voice echoes out from behind them.

The entire group jumps and turn their heads around, only to find no one there.

"Obviously, I normally use it in much more subtle ways. What I've demonstrated for you was an exaggeration and an example of its potential," his voices echoes out once again, but this time from their front.

When they turn their heads back, they find Jaune calmly sitting on the ground several feet away from them.

"That's... how?!" Ren mutters incredulously.

Velvet looks down a her camera screen, mentally comparing Jaune's demonstration with his spar against her teammates. Her brow scrunches in concentration, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Was that speed?" Pyrrha asks.

"No," Jaune shakes his head. "The underlying principle behind this technique is not speed."

"You're not messing with us and using a Semblance or something, right?" Coco slowly asks.

Jaune shakes his head once again.

"Is it... maybe... rhythm?" Velvet quietly asks.

Jaune's eyes glint, impressed.

"Rhythm? What do you mean by rhythm?" They ask Velvet.

Velvet looks to struggle with her words.

"Well... I'm not quite sure on how to explain it. But when Jaune was demonstrating, it felt as if every cell in my body was... resonating? When I looked back on the video recordings, his steps feel... methodical? Unnaturally natural?"

Everyone's head tilts, not quite understanding Velvet's explanation.

"I am surprised," Jaune says and he smiles at Velvet. "You are correct."

"What?"

"Did I not tell you all beforehand? Explaining this technique in words is difficult," Jaune chuckles. "Why don't you all take a seat and I'll explain its broader principles. Perhaps all of you can take something away from this."

They take their seats around Jaune. Once they do, he lightly taps the ground with a finger. Despite the lightness of his touch, a feeling of resonance echoes through their bodies.

"Everything has a rhythm. Others call it frequency or resonance, but they are all the one and same. This should not be a foreign concept to any of you. You are all familiar with the concept of the rhythm of combat, yes?"

They all nod without hesitation.

"It is something warriors and fighters gain on an instinctual level, so long as they are adequately trained and talented. However, I doubt any of you could accurately describe the feeling with your words. All you know is that it is there and is real. A truth beyond words."

"Just as there is a rhythm to combat, one will eventually discover that there is a rhythm to perception, and even the world itself."

Both JNPR and CFVY remain silent due to being stunned. Is such a concept possible? It must be, seeing that they'd witnessed it with their very own eyes.

"So, to be clear, this has nothing to do with Semblance?" Ren asks.

"Technically speaking, anyone is capable of doing this. However, reality is not so fair. It will depend upon one's own talent, insight, enlightenment, and perhaps even luck," Jaune responds.

"And... where and how did you exactly learn this?" Pyrrha slowly asks. "This is something completely foreign from anything any of us have learned in any combat school."

Jaune gently smiles and his eyes gaze past them, as if looking at something far away.

"The early stages of this technique was developed by my sister. She was merely 8 years old at the time, and is called the _Reflection of the Divine Moon_."

_'An 8 year old?!_'

Everyone is stunned.

"Are you serious? How can that be possible? Such a genius would be world famous by now," Yatsuhashi points out.

Jaune says nothing and gives a sad, yet proud smile.

Yatsuhashi's eyes widen in horror as he realizes.

"I'm sorry Jaune, I didn't mean to-" he quickly begins to apologize.

"It's quite alright. You had no way of knowing beforehand," Jaune assures.

_'So, he learned this technique from his sister, then developed it into maturity... in remembrance of her?'_

Pyrrha looks down sadly.

Velvet wipes a small tear from her eyes and tightens her grip on her camera, silently vowing that she'd work hard to learn this.

Even Coco, normally full of confidence, can not help but release a sad sigh. To everyone, it is clear that this technique is not something Jaune had thoughtlessly shown them. It is a precious memorabilia.

Jaune flips his Scroll open.

"It is almost time for our mission. We should head over to the bullheads."

An emergency alarm suddenly blares throughout the Academy.

"That's the alarm protocol for a breach in the city!" Coco exclaims. Everyone jumps to their feet.

Wasting no time, JNPR and CFVY sprint out from the training facilities and dash towards the bullhead docking stations. In the distance, smoke can be seen rising into the air near the center of the city.

Jaune waves a hand, signaling everyone to follow him to their originally assigned bullhead for their mission.

"Get on," Jaune commands before directing his attention to the pilot. "Full speed to the city. Now!"

* * *

***** Above the City *****

"A Grimm breach," Coco grits. "On the outskirts, I'd understand. But the middle of the city?!"

She looks back at her team and commands, "We're engaging as soon as we arrive. Wipe them out."

Jaune peers out the towards the source of the rising smoke, his eyes narrowing as he assesses the situation.

"One team is currently engaged in combat. It's... Team RWBY."

He notes the Grimm continuously streaming out from a hole in the ground.

"They will be overrun at this rate. We're jumping."

Without waiting for a response, Jaune dives out from the bullhead. The rest of JNPR and CFVY follow closely behind.

As he free falls through the air, Jaune notices a familiar raven circling above the battle, keeping a keen eye on the ensuing chaos. Looking further down, he sees a King Taijitu slowly slithering around the perimeter to flank a blind spot in RWBY's positioning. When it reels its head back to strike, Jaune swiftly draws his sword and brings it back behind him, pointing it at Nora.

Nora promptly plants her feet onto the flat side of Crocea Mors and Jaune swings his arm forward while channeling his Aura into the blade. Like a railgun, Nora is launched towards the King Taijitu at a blinding speed, riding atop Jaune's invisible blade of Aura. With a fierce battle cry, Nora swings down Magnhild onto the unsuspecting Grimm's head, obliterating and killing it instantly.

Jaune quickly scans the area with a pulse of divine sense, then flattens himself to greatly slow his fall while the rest of JNPR and CFVY shoot past him.

_'Beowolves and Ursa make up the majority of the outbreak. A few Deathstalkers as well, but they should not be an issue once the rest of the reinforcements arrive.'_

He eyes three shadows approaching through the sky.

_'Those three Nevermore are a biggest issue. Their feathers will cause major damage should they get close enough.'_

Jaune activates his scabbard, expanding it into a shield, then segments it into its multiple blades. Taking quick aim, he launches his blades towards the incoming Nevermore. As they fly, Jaune activates the gravity Dust and pulls himself towards the flying blades, granting him a crude form of flight.

As he rapidly approaches like a shooting star, Jaune flicks his fingers, diverting the blades' trajectories into the furthest Nevermore, then deactivates the gravity Dust. His feet crash onto the back of the nearest Nevermore, breaking its back from the impact. For good measure, Jaune quickly beheads the bird before jumping into the air towards the next Nevermore.

With potent Aura flowing through Crocea Mors, Jaune sends a flurry of Aura blades through the sky, severing the Nevermore's wings. Before it could react, another storm of blades grinds through its neck, decapitating it.

Jaune reactivates his gravity Dust, pulling himself towards the final, remaining Nevermore. Having seen its peers nearly instantly killed, it furiously flaps its wings, moving backwards through the air while facing this human. Screeching in rage, it pulls its wings far back and fiercely flaps them forward, launching dozens of razor sharp feathers straight towards Jaune.

Without batting an eye, Jaune deflects them away with Crocea Mors, while simultaneously making sure the feathers land on empty parts of the streets below. While the Nevermore recovers from its attack, it fails to react to Jaune's weapon piercing it between its eyes with a sickly crunch, before stopping at the hilt.

As Jaune shoots past, he wretches his weapon free and recalls his flying swords to reform his shield. He skids to a stop on top of a nearby rooftop, then quickly scans the surroundings.

_'Eight Beowolf stragglers.'_

Locking onto their locations, he flicks his fingers, sending out his blades into multiple directions. Within seconds, the Beowolves are killed without incident. Jaune hops down onto the streets below and sprints towards RWBY's location.

By the time he arrives, the Atlesian Knight-200 units had dropped from their ships and eradicated most of the remaining Grimm. The larger, more dangerous Grimm were taken care of by the Beacon students, professors, and Huntsmen in the city.

As he walks up to his team and CFVY, he gestures towards Coco, who is stomping and spitting furiously on a disintegrating corpse of a Beowolf.

"What is wrong with her?"

Velvet, rather embarrassed by her friend's actions, responds, "Coco's favorite clothing store was destroyed by the breach..."

"I see..." Jaune raises an eyebrow. "Any casualties?"

"Thankfully, there have been no reported deaths at this point in time, though several civilians were badly injured. They were quickly transported to medical facilities by the Atlas soldiers who came to help," Ren responds.

"According to RWBY, the ones responsible for the breach was the White Fang, led by Roman Torchwick," Pyrrha sighs. "Why would they do such a thing?"

"When systematically oppressed and openly discriminated against by much of the public, is it really so surprising that some Faunus are willing to take extreme measures?" Jaune questions.

They all look at Jaune in surprise, Velvet in particular. Blake, having overheard Jaune's comment, watches silently.

"I am not condoning their actions," Jaune sighs. "However, it is vital that everyone understand why they have resorted to such methods. I, myself, am not the type to take abuse freely, so in a sense, I can appreciate the White Fang are same. However, this..."

Jaune gestures to the surrounding destruction with a hand.

"This is not the correct path. I know you all understand that violence in and of itself is not evil."

The group do not verbally respond, but Jaune's words ring true to their ears.

"We should head back to the Academy. The Atlas military and professors will handle the rest."


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Jaune sits on top of the dorm rooftop basking in the moonlight and pondering over a lightning Dust crystal and a plant Dust crystal.

_'The Black Tortoise is Yin. Therefore, the next must be Yang, which leaves me with either the Azure Dragon or the White Tiger...'_

He leans back in his seat and gazes up to the stars.

_'Engraving the second Divine Beast is not impossible at this stage, but it is risky. However, due to the recent breach in the city, I am being left with little choice on the matter. If that breach was any indication of what is to come, then I must be as prepared as possible, no matter the risk.'_

An irritating sensation in the back of his mind distracts him for a moment, almost like an unreachable itch. Shortly afterwards, it disappears.

_'There it is again... What is it?'_

He discards the thought for now and focuses on the task at hand.

_'The Azure Dragon epitomizes supreme speed, while the White Tiger is unmatched strength._

Jaune closes his eyes and mentally debates with both options.

_'Even in my current state, I doubt there are any who could easily keep up with my speed. Even if there are, I have confidence in my experience and insight to the Dao. What use is speed if I can not breach someone's defenses? Paired with my augmented defense due to the Black Tortoise, the White Tiger is the better choice of the two. Supreme defense and supreme strength.'_

Having made up his mind, Jaune pockets the plant Dust crystal and focuses on the lightning crystal. He cups it between his hands and envelops it with his divine sense to begin the refinement process.

_'Piercing the Heavens White Tiger. The White Tiger embodies the essence of metal, the season of Fall, and prowls in the West.'_

As he'd done previously with the Black Tortoise, Jaune refines the energy within the Dust crystal. With some effort, he takes the energy within himself, breathing heavily with small beads of sweat on his forehead as a result. Tracing with his finger and imbuing his will, he condenses the energy into a strand and begins to draw the sigil.

_'The origin of lightning is the primordial element of metal when the universe was born. The claws of the White Tiger has no equal as it pierces the void and decimates the stars. Its seven mansions are the Legs, Bond, Stomach, Head, Net, Turtle Beak, and Three Stars. The beast is a God of War. Protector and defender.'_

Jaune's body involuntarily shudders as it strains contain the energy of his creation taking form. He grits his teeth and swallows the blood threatening to surge up his throat while he completes the final stroke.

The White Tiger springs to life and fiercely roars towards the Heavens.

With the push of a palm, the sigil embeds itself into the left section of the Paifang. The White Tiger circles in its spot several times, before laying down to slumber. Back in reality, Jaune slowly opens his eyes.

_'I've taken some internal damage, but it was a success. I should recover after a night's rest. Cultivating the third beast is definitely impossible at my current stage.'_

Rather pale in the face, Jaune stumbles onto his feet. As he slowly makes his way towards the rooftop exit, he notices some activity down below him at the Beacon courtyard. He narrow his eyes to focus, finding a familiar raven perched on top of the statues.

The bird hops off towards the ground, and it suddenly expands and morphs into the figure of a young looking woman with long black hair and blood red armor. Her face remains hidden, covered by a Grimm mask. She quietly lands behind the statues and stands within their shadows, waiting.

_'I'd suspected that raven was indeed a person, and it seems that my suspicion is correct. Who is she waiting for?'_

Deciding this to be worth his time, Jaune sits down and observes quietly. It does not take long before another figure approaches the courtyard from the distance. The woman steps out from behind the monument and faces the newcomer, revealed to be Yang. The woman reaches up to remove her mask, revealing her face to Yang, and unknowingly, to Jaune.

Jaune's eyes widen, intrigued.

_'I may as well be looking at twins. If someone told me she is Yang's sister, I would not doubt it. Is this woman... Yang's mother?'_

The two have a brief conversation. One that Yang is clearly unsatisfied with, but the woman was apparently done. She jumps backwards into the shadows of the statues, out of Yang's view, then slashes the air with her weapon, creating a dark red portal. She quickly jumps through before Yang can turn the corner.

_'A Semblance? Teleportation?'_

Jaune silently muses, before his eyes narrow, sensing someone coming from behind. He turns around to face an identical dark red portal, and the raven woman steps through. Jaune slightly tenses his body.

_'Hopefully she is not looking for a fight. I am not exactly in optimal shape...'_

Jaune conceals the trembling of his body, due to fatigue, and calmly greets.

"Good evening. And who might you be?"

"Hmph," she grunts before sheathing her sword.

"Finally, I get an opportunity to catch you alone. Since I do not like wasting time, I will get right to it as you and I have _much_ to talk about."

Jaune sighs, "If you want to talk, you should introduce yourself."

She smirks, "Even outside of Anima, there aren't many who do not recognize Raven Branwen."

_'She transforms into the same bird as her namesake...'_

"Very well, Raven Branwen. And for what reason do you seek me out?"

Raven takes a moment to glance around, noticing the rooftop they are currently on, in direct view of the courtyard where Yang is sitting down beside the statues, hugging her knees. Despite the twinge in her heart, she quickly masks the brief softening of her eyes. She looks back at Jaune imposingly.

"You were spying. How much did you see?"

_'She teleported to me without knowing my exact location? Does this mean she could only sense that I was alone?'_

Jaune calmly smiles.

"I saw enough. I am curious... what is your relation to Yang? Sister?... Aunt?... Mother?"

Raven's eyes involuntarily twitches at the last one.

_'Mother... so I was correct. Interesting.'_

"I'm the one asking the questions. Not you," Raven grits.

"I am not your subordinate," Jaune narrows his eyes. "I will only speak with you so long as it is on equal terms."

Raven can not help but feel disturbed by how calm this boy remains in her presence.

_'I've been emitting killing intent since we've started talking, yet, he hasn't even flinched!'_

"Fine. Why are you constantly following RWBY?" Raven asks.

Jaune sighs, "You should know just as well as I on how prone those brats are at getting into trouble. After all, you've constantly been following Yang."

"That ended when the breach happened," Raven coldly responds. "I saved her during that time. She gets one and only one. Anything more that happens to her will depend solely on her. The weak die and the strong survive. Those are the rules of this world."

Jaune chuckles, "Indeed, the strong prey on the weak. However..."

His voice turns deathly serious.

"I do not believe for a second that you'd willingly let Yang die."

Raven strongly resists the urge to flinch.

"Your little act may have fooled others, but you will not fool my eyes."

Her stomach shudders, but she reassures herself.

_'He's bluffing.'_

"They say that the eyes are the windows to one's soul," Jaune continues, then pauses, pretending to think.

"Actually, I don't think I've ever heard a single thing about Yang's birth mother. Why is that? Was she abandoned like trash?"

"Shut up!" Raven yells, unable to hold onto her composure. Her hands are tightly clenched into fists by her sides.

Jaune silently regards her for a second, then bows his head.

"I went too far. I apologize."

_'Truly an interesting one you are, Raven Branwen.'_

Raven takes several deep breaths to calm herself, then switches to the main topic she'd come here for.

"Jaune Arc. How much do you know about Ozpin?"

_'Ozpin? Why the sudden fixation on Ozpin? Is she perhaps aware of his reincarnating nature?'_

Jaune shrugs, "A child prodigy that quickly rose through the ranks of Huntsmen. It did not take long until he ended up as the headmaster of Beacon. The youngest headmaster in history."

"I see..." Raven narrows her eyes. "I find it hard to believe that is all you know. I know all about your various private meetings with Ozpin. In addition... your reaction to my ability of morphing into a bird was rather tame."

Jaune raises an eyebrow.

"What is the big deal about something like that? Given the vast variety of Semblances and that this school is training teenagers with superhuman powers, what is so strange about someone turning into a bird?"

_'Clever answer,'_ Raven thinks.

"So you aren't at least a tiny bit curious as to why I have this ability? Something that is completely separate from my Semblance?"

"What is the point you're driving towards?" Jaune questions. "I thought you disliked wasting time?"

Raven grunts in annoyance.

"Do you know what Ozpin is hiding?"

"Everyone has their secrets. Please be more specific."

"Fairy tales," Raven mockingly says. "Ring any bells?"

_'The tale of the four Maidens?'_

"Which fairy tale do you speak of? There are quite a few."

"The seasons," Raven bluntly responds with a glare.

Jaune brings a hand up to his chin.

"Hmm... I _do_ recall Ozpin telling me the tale of the four seasonal Maidens. That was a rather charming story."

Raven coldly responds, "I'll do you a favor and issue you a fair warning. Ozpin is not trustworthy. Trusting him is something only a fool would do. You are not a fool, are you?"

_'Unlike my idiot of a little brother...'_

Jaune calmly smiles at her.

"Trust? Such a fickle thing, trust is. However, it is something everyone must partake in. I think you'll be quite disappointed to learn that I trust Ozpin to a certain extent."

_'At the very least, he is not my immediate enemy.'_

Raven disappointingly sighs, "So he's roped in another one. Shame that one as talented as you has been brainwashed."

She looks at Jaune in surprise, when he suddenly begins to laugh in amusement.

"You seriously believe that I am one of Ozpin's machinations? Woman, I just said that I only trust Ozpin to a certain extent. By no means does this mean I am his follower. Do not allow your preconceptions to cloud your judgement."

_'Did I misjudge?'_

Raven decides to take a gamble.

"Answer this for me. If someone you trust knowingly sends warriors and guardians to their deaths. To fight against an adversary impossible to beat, how would you react? What would you do?"

_'She must be referring to Salem.'_

"Impossible to beat? For all your talk about the weak dying and the strong survive, your heart is rather weak," Jaune shakes his head.

"The answer is simple. If you are not powerful enough, then get strong enough to utterly trample and annihilate the enemy and anyone else who stands in your way. To concede the fight before you've even begun will end up becoming a self fulfilling prophecy."

_'He has no idea. He doesn't know Salem like I know her. What arrogance,' _Raven's eyes dim with disappointment.

Jaune comments, "I can assure you that I know exactly what I am talking about."

_'How did he-' _Her eyes widen.

"Remember that I said the eyes are a window to the soul? You're surprisingly easy to read," Jaune chuckles. Feeling slightly recovered, he pushes himself onto his feet and walks towards the rooftop exit.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I'd like to get some sleep."

"Wait. We're not done yet."

Raven steps in his way and grabs at his shoulder, only to grasp at air. Her eyes frantically scan the area, before Jaune's voice sounds directly into her ear.

"Here is some advice of my own. No foe is unkillable, and Salem is no exception."

Raven's eyes widen, then her head lurches forward due to a sharp flick to the back of her head.

"That is for pecking me. Good night little bird," Jaune's voice fades.

Raven glances around in confusion, then bites her lip in frustration.

_'Jaune Arc is definitely not a normal student. He knows about Salem and is hiding many secrets, maybe even more than Ozpin. In fact... he doesn't even act his age.'_

Her red eyes narrow with suspicion. She draws her sword and swipes it through the air, manifesting her portal. Before she steps through, she takes one final look down at the courtyard.

_'Yang...'_

With a sigh, she disappears.

* * *

Jaune's knees buckle, and he collapses against the door of his team room. As he catches his breath, he reflects upon his meeting with Raven.

_'She has some intense animosity towards Ozpin. However, based on my interaction with her, I would not consider her an enemy.'_

He takes a few more moments to rest, then silently enters the room.

_'I must rest. Tomorrow is the preliminaries after all. An exciting day for all of Remnant...'_

* * *

***** The following morning *****

Glynda's voice echoes through the sound system of Amity Colosseum, broadcasting to both the direct audience and the viewers around the world.

_"Welcome to the beginning of the Vytal Festival Tournament. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. For those who are not familiar with the rules, allow me to clarify. Two teams will be randomly selected, and a representative must be selected by the respective teams to fight in a one vs one."_

_"The victor's team will be rewarded one point for his or her team. By this point, any of the remaining teams may issue a challenge to the victor via their Scroll. Challenging the victor is on a first come first serve basis, therefore, taking too much time to decide will be detrimental for any team's ability to earn points. If the victor is left unchallenged, then the one on the arena will have the right to issue a challenge towards any of the waiting teams."_

_"Those who lose in the one vs one match will no longer be eligible to fight for the remainder of the preliminaries. This entire process will repeat until all participants have fought at least once, and at the end, the top 16 teams will be participating in the main Tournament. In the case of tying scores, those respective teams will go through the preliminary format once again."_

In the waiting rooms, the various teams of students bustle with excitement. Professors Port's voice booms through the speakers.

_"Without further ado, let us select the two lucky teams to fire off the start of the preliminaries! And those two teams are..."_

The holographic screen transitions to two boxes rapidly cycling through team names. They slowly come to a stop.

_"Team RWBY and Team LEAF! Now, who will be the first to represent their respective teams?"_

Jaune glances over at the members of RWBY huddled together, silently conversing amongst each other. After several moments, they all nod in agreement, and surprisingly, Ruby separates from the group and heads out towards the arena stage.

_'Interesting choice. I fully expected them to select Yang or Weiss to go first, but Ruby?'_

Jaune rubs his chin in thought. As Ruby passes by, he pats her head.

"Show them what you've got," he encourages and holds out a hand.

Ruby cheerfully grins and claps her hand against his.

Up on the screen, Ruby walks up onto the stage holding onto Crescent Rose in its compact rifle form. Across from her is her opponent from Team LEAF, looking rather confident since her opponent is so young.

_"Begin!" _Oobleck announces.

Ruby brings up her weapon and quickly fires off several Dust rounds. Her opponent dodges from left to right and dashes towards Ruby. When she gets closer, Ruby activates her Semblance, bursting into speed and disorientating her opponent. The girl from LEAF fails to react in time when Ruby swings her weapon against the back of her head, knocking her out from the arena.

_'She's keeping her weapon in compact form, deliberately concealing her weapon's true form. Ruby is capable of coming up with plans, but she wouldn't come up with something like this.'_

Jaune and his team walk up to the rest of RWBY.

"So, who came up with this scheme?" He asks them.

Blake and Yang point a finger at Weiss, who huffs with pride.

"You can't tell me it's not genius," Weiss smirks and crosses her arms.

Yang laughs, "I gotta hand it to you this time Weiss. People are naturally going to underestimate Ruby because she's 2 years younger. Until they catch on, it's practically free points."

Blake nods in agreement.

"As expected of a Schnee. Exploiting and executing nefarious plots," Blake playfully smiles at Weiss, whose eyebrow twitches.

"This is indeed quite sneaky," Pyrrha chuckles.

"Hmm, perhaps one of us should challenge her," Jaune suggests and brings out his Scroll.

"You wouldn't!" Weiss snaps her head at Jaune with some panic. In the meantime, Ruby has defeated her third opponent, scoring 3 points in total for her team.

Weiss glares when she notices the teasing look in Jaune's eyes as he holds the Scroll.

_"Team CRAS as issued their challenge. What will we see next? Can anyone stop the rampage of Beacon's young Rose?"_

A lanky teen with a gaunt face strolls up onto the stage with both hands in his pockets. Once he assumes his position, Oobleck announces the start of the match.

_"Begin!"_

The lanky boy makes no moves to indicate moving from his position. Rather, he brings a hand out from his pocket and holds it out in front of him. He flashes a smile at Ruby.

"Before we fight, I'd like to shake hands. For the sake of a good match."

Ruby, still naive due to her years, walks up to him with an unsuspecting smile. As she puts her hand out for the handshake, the lanky teen takes his other hand out from his pocket and throws a powdery red substance into Ruby's face. Based on the color, he'd just thrown fire Dust powder.

Though Ruby had quickly reacted to the movement, some of the Dust had made it into her eyes, blinding her and causing intense, sharp pain. The boy from CRAS kicks Crescent Rose out of Ruby's hands. Then, without a hint of reserve, he begins to punch and kick Ruby in the face and torso.

Ruby cries out in pain and panic, unable to see the oncoming blows. Having lost the comfort of her weapon, she is unable to remain calm.

The audience watches with disgust at the tactic this boy had employed.

_"Though within the rules, what a disgraceful display by what should be an aspiring protector of Remnant. Truly disgraceful."_

Growing tired of playing around, the boy roughly grabs Ruby by her hair and drags her to the edge of the stage, then throws her off, ending the fight. The stadium audience overwhelmingly sounds out with shouts of disapproval.

Jaune's eyes dangerously glint. Yang slams her fist into her seat, destroying the metal. Her pupils flash blood red and her hair is set ablaze by her Semblance.

"I'll kill that bastard!" She furiously yells.

Blake remains silent, but her hair is raised and pupils are slit.

Weiss tightly grips Myrtenaster hard enough that her knuckles turn white.

"That idiot..." She whispers, with concern etched across her face.

"How disgusting," Pyrrha angrily says, glaring at the screen.

Nora's usual smile is now a deep frown with hints of electricity bouncing across her body, while Ren's eyes turn abnormally cold.

At the opposite side of the room, the other members of CRAS point and laugh loudly at the screen. Ridiculing comments towards Ruby can be heard from across the room. Jaune's arm shoots out and grabs Yang by her shoulder, forcing her back down onto her seat.

"Do not be rash."

"Don't stop me Jaune!" Yang furiously hisses. "You saw what he did to Ruby! And his teammates over there deserve what's coming to them!"

"I'm _well_ aware of what he did to Ruby. However, unless you want to be the one responsible for disqualifying your team due to misconduct, I suggest you sit still," Jaune replies before glancing over at Blake and Weiss. "This applies to you two as well."

The two in question remain completely silent and frozen in their seats.

"You see how gullible that dumb girl was?" A fat boy from CRASS guffaws.

Though Jaune's expression remains unchanged and calm, the temperature in the room drops, causing the other teams in the room to halt their chatter. The only one who does not seem to notice is Yang, due to her elevated emotions.

"Yang. Ruby will need your support when she gets back. This is not the place to look for a fight."

Yang glares into Jaune's impassive eyes.

"You dare call yourself Ruby's friend?! Take a look in a mirror. You look like you hardly even care-"

_"Team JNPR has issued a challenge to CRAS!"_

Yang jolts in surprise at the announcement. Her eyes flicker back to their normal lilac color and her hair settles. Pyrrha places a hand on Yang's other shoulder and consoles her.

"Yang. Jaune is just as upset as the rest of us. You didn't notice because of your anger."

Yang finally takes a moment to glance around the room, finding that all the other participants in the room are deathly quiet, and staring at Jaune warily.

"I've only felt that kind of pressure from my sister when she'd get into an argument with father... Even that seemed tame compared to this..." Weiss comments in a low voice.

Blake is visibly shivering. Being a Faunus and with her prior experience working for the White Fang, she is highly familiar and sensitive to killing intent. What she's feeling from Jaune terrifies her on an instinctual level.

Ruby slowly limps back towards her team, accompanied by CFVY. Yang pulls away from Jaune and Pyrrha's hands and sprints to her younger sister. She pulls Ruby into a hug and frantically checks over her body.

"Ruby! I- Are you okay? What about your eyes? What did the nurse say?"

Ruby sniffs and rubs her eyes.

"The fire Dust got into my nose and eyes. They still sting a bit, but the nurse said there shouldn't be any permanent danger, though it could have been dangerous," she quietly responds.

As Jaune walks past them, he pats Ruby's head and gives her Crocea Mors.

"I'm entrusting this to you. I'll be back soon."

Ruby grabs her friend's weapon and subconsciously hugs it close to her body. Maybe it was her imagination, but it felt as if the sword was humming against her body, bringing comfort to her.

* * *

The lanky teen from CRAS arrogantly stares at Jaune, who is standing calmly across the stage.

"I know you... You're the team leader of JNPR, with Pyrrha Nikos. I heard that she was quite the attraction during the dance. Hehe, I would have shown her a great time... I also know that you're close friends with that idiot girl I just beat."

He laughs maliciously and mocks, "You're here to take revenge for your friend right? Haha! You should've seen her face up close when she was panicking. It was hilarious!"

Jaune calmly stares at his opponent with blank eyes, making no reaction to the taunts.

_"3...2...1... Begin!"_

Jaune brings up a leg and casually stomps the ground, shattering the ground beneath him. He reaches out and catches a piece of debris that had flown up from the impact. He hefts the piece of rubble, roughly the size and shape of a building brick, then calmly begins to walk towards the lanky teen.

"What the fuck? You making fun of me?"

The lanky teen snarls and brings out a pair of combat knives.

"You think a rock will protect you? Die!"

He charges forward and stabs his knives down towards Jaune's eyes.

When the knives reach his eyes, the lanky teen cruelly smirks, then quickly turns confused when his knives pass through without resistance. He suddenly feels a sharp kick on the back of his legs, forcing him onto his knees.

_'I can't feel my legs!'_

The lanky teen looks up as Jaune's shadow casts over him.

As if looking down on an insect, Jaune brings his brick up and hits him across the head, knocking the boy across the ground.

Though protected by his Aura, the teen from CRAS is concussed and unable to move. Expression unchanging, Jaune walks to his side and crouches down next to his head and casually brings his brick up. With an almost lazy swing, Jaune hits him on the head once more.

"Ahhh!" The boy cries out.

The audience watches in complete silence, unsure of how to react to such a bizarre scene. Some viewers finally notice that up on the status screen, the CRAS member's Aura was hardly decreasing, despite his loud cries of pain.

Jaune relentlessly continues to smash the boys face with his brick, carefully gauging his strength as to avoid knocking him unconscious.

**_*Clunk*_**

"Guh! Please sto-"

**_*Clunk*_**

"Pleas-"

_***Clunk***_

Though no visible marks of injury are present, the lanky teen feels every single blow reverberate throughout his entire body, along with the ever present excruciating pain.

"P-please mercy!"

**_*Clunk*_**

"I want to give u-"

_***Clunk***_

Jaune pauses for a moment, expression still unchanged since the beginning of the match. Seeing the opportunity to forfeit, the lanky teen hastily cries.

"I forfei-"

**_*CLUNK*_**

Jaune's brick quickly cracks down onto the boy's head, and up on the screen, his Aura instantly drains from 95% to 3%.

The stadium erupts.

"Holy shit! With a single shot?!"

Jaune looks down on the unconscious teen and hefts the brick with mild satisfaction.

_'This sure brings back some fond memories. One of my very few friends had jokingly used Brick Dao to humiliate his opponents. I must admit that it is quite satisfying.'_

His eyes narrow as he scans the audience.

_'Are you watching little CCT intruder?'_

Back in the waiting rooms, Coco and Nora can not help but howl in laughter.

"Dear gods, that was brutal! With... with a rock of all things!" Coco manages to squeeze out between breaths.

"An utter humiliation," Ren nods in satisfaction.

Pyrrha whispers into Velvet's ear.

"When he dodged the initial blow... was that?"

Velvet nods.

"That was definitely _Reflection of the Divine Moon_. Unlike when he'd shown us, it was instant when he used it."

She looks down at her camera and sighs. Due to being caught up in the moment, she'd forgotten to record the match.

Ruby, despite her loss, can not help but smile at Jaune's performance. Yang on the other hand, sweats a bit.

"So... someone make sure that I don't get on his bad side."

Fox and Yatsuhashi silently nod in agreement. Having been demolished by Jaune through firsthand experience, they almost feel bad for the CRAS member on stage. Almost.

Weiss pinches her brow, trying to remain composed. Even Blake can not help but smirk.

Unlike Jaune's group of friends, the other participants in the room feel nothing but terror.

_'That guy's a monster!'_

In a corner of the room are Cinder, Mercury, Emerald, and Neo, reacting to the fight that had just occurred on screen. Neo has her arms wrapped around her stomach, silently laughing while swinging her legs.

"What was that? What did we just watch?" Emerald struggles with her words. "What are we even supposed to take away from that?!"

"Nothing, aside from what we already know. That Jaune Arc is extremely skilled and powerful," Mercury sighs.

Cinder silently glares at the screen.

_'Is he mocking me?'_

"Place Jaune Arc higher up on the list," she instructs.

_"No one has yet to issue a challenge towards Jaune Arc of JNPR! As per the rules, he now holds the right to challenge any team he wishes!"_

Jaune stares impassively into the camera.

"CRAS."

* * *

"Well yeah, obviously no one would want to challenge him after seeing that," An Atlas student mutters.

"Yeah... risk getting beat down by a random rock? Concussion, loss, and humiliation all in one package. No thanks!" Another scoffs.

The other participants nod and sigh in relief that none of their teams were called out by Jaune. Why needlessly antagonize him when it seems that Jaune Arc only has grievances against CRAS? Better to let them take the beatdown, and hope he doesn't turn his sights onto them afterwards.

The remaining members of CRAS argue amongst themselves on who should go next.

"I'm not going! I'm not even involved with the idea to go after that Beacon girl!"

"Bullshit! You're the one who came up with the idea!"

"What'd you say?! I'll kick your ass you motherfuc-"

_"Seeing as the next participant has not been chosen by CRAS, the system will now select one of them at random."_

A name shines on the screen.

"Shit!" One of them loudly curses.

* * *

A fat boy waddles up onto the stage across from Jaune, who stands there casually with the brick in hand.

_"Begin!"_

Jaune blurs out of vision.

Panicking, the fat boy wraps his arms around his head and actively bolsters his defenses with his Aura. Jaune reappears in front of the stationary boy and looks at him as if looking at an idiot. With a glance, Jaune locates a gap in the boy's pathetic excuse for a defense, and strikes his temple with the brick.

_***CLUNK***_

Aura or not makes little difference to Jaune. A hollow sound echoes out from the fat boy's head, and he crumbles onto the ground, unconscious and Aura in the red.

"Another one shot!"

Many in the audience pinch themselves to make sure they are not dreaming, while others feel as if they're going insane. Was Aura a joke all of a sudden? What's the point of it if a piece of rubble could wipe it out in a single shot?!

Unbeknownst to everyone but Jaune, the reason why his blows circumvent the effects of Aura is due to the tiniest slivers of White Tiger qi flowing through his brick. To him, his opponents' defenses are nothing but wet tissue paper.

Like before, the remaining two members of CRAS fail to decide who goes next, so the system promptly chooses for them.

An ordinary boy steps up onto the stage, heavily sweating from his forehead. As soon as Oobleck starts the match, the boy flees into the opposite direction.

Jaune internally sighs.

_'Pathetic.'_

He steps forward and disappears, almost instantly catching up to the CRAS member without a sound. The fleeing boy turns his head back towards where Jaune was standing, only to find him missing. His eyes widen in panic, and he frantically draws his weapon, a crude metal club. He turns his head back towards the front, discovering that Jaune is standing there, waiting.

With a desperate scream, the boy raises his club into the air and swings down.

Jaune flicks his arm out, smashing his brick against the weapon. The impact bends the club at a 90 degree angle and blows it out of the wielder's hand.

"The brick in inevitable," Jaune states, then swings down.

The boy collapses onto the ground, frothing from his mouth.

Oobleck sighs into the mic, _"And the final member of CRAS. Step forward into the arena."_

The fourth and final member of CRAS steps into the arena and immediately raises an arm.

"I forfeit!"

_"You are not able to forfeit, as the match has yet to even officially begin," _Oobleck coughs into the mic. _"So, on that note. 3...2...1... Begin!"_

The final members raises his arm once again.

"I forfei-"

_***CLUNK***_

As soon as Oobleck announces the start of the match, Jaune instantly appears in front of the final member of CRAS and slaps him across the head with the brick, knocking him unconscious.

_"Well, that is the end of the match. So far, Jaune Arc has earned 4 points for his team and looks to be in peak condition. Will anyone step up to challenge him? Or will he, once again for the fifth time in a row, receive the right to challenge another?"_

"H-he's gotta be done by this point... right?" Someone asks uncertaintly.

Up on the screen, it displays Jaune taking out his Scroll and casually browsing through the remaining teams.

"Oh gods..." A student from Haven whispers in horror. "He's not finished."

Jaune flicks his finger across the screen, carefully browsing through the teams.

_'Quite a few students match the intruder's profile. How unfortunate.'_

Jaune looks up and dismissively waves a hand at the camera.

"I'm feeling tired from fighting so many difficult consecutive matches. I'm stepping down."

"What?!" The audience exclaims. "Your mother that you're tired!"

Unlike the audience, a collective sigh of relief sounds throughout the waiting room as they watch Jaune hop off the arena stage.

_"Very well. Jaune Arc has not officially lost a match. Therefore, another member from his team must take his place. You will have 5 minutes to decide. In the meantime, your hosts, myself and Professor Port will review these fights for the viewers in greater detail."_

* * *

The participants in the waiting room part like the sea as Jaune makes his way back towards his friends. When he sits down, he looks at their incredulous expressions.

"What?"

"That was quite the performance," Pyrrha chuckles. "Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?"

Ruby holds out Crocea Mors for Jaune to take back.

"Thanks Jaune," she quietly laughs.

"What you did was borderline cruel," Weiss comments, before giving Jaune a small smile. "But seeing that it was completely justified, I have no complaints."

"He completely crushed their spirits," Ren says. "I doubt that any of them will continue to pursue the path of a Huntsmen after today."

Jaune glances at Ren, impressed.

"You're rather perceptive at times. Yes, you are correct that I crushed their spirits. Huntsmen and Huntresses have a duty to uphold in protecting and serving as paragons of righteousness. Trash like that do not deserve such a title."

"Damn," Yang remarks. "Pretty harsh words, but fully agreed."

Jaune crosses his arms and looks at Ruby with an admonishing gaze.

"As for you Ruby. Despite such foul play, you played into it due to being naive. What you did was stupidity and I hope you'll learn from this experience. Secondly, you completely lost your composure upon losing hold of your weapon."

"I... I know," Ruby looks down.

Jaune lightly flicks her forehead with a gentle smile.

"Thinking the best of others is a rare trait, and is truly a charming aspect of you. However, you must practice caution in the future."

"Question," Weiss raises a finger into the air, then points at Crocea Mors.

"You decided to forgo your weapon in order to drive in the fact that they are, as you referred to them, trash? Couldn't you have simply used hand to hand combat instead? Why the theatrics with a rock?"

"Hmm," Jaune rubs his chin in thought. "How to best explain this?..."

"Would you kill a bug with a sword?"

Everyone raises their eyebrow.

"No... you'd likely do it with a shoe, but that would dirty the shoe... Then what about scum? How would you deal with it? It is dirty and disgusting."

Everyone begins to feel a slight headache at Jaune's logic.

"Indeed, the best way to end such a thing is by smashing it with a rock. Honestly, it is really quite simple."

Jaune looks around at the group.

"Right?"

Coco snorts into her mouth, struggling not to laugh.

"So basically... you... didn't want to... touch them?"

Velvet looks away with a red face, embarrassed by Jaune's roundabout excuse while trying to sound profound.

Weiss rubs her temples.

"Okay, just stop. We get it."

"Anyways," Jaune coughs into his hand. "We need to quickly decide who goes next."

"OH!"

Nora jumps onto her feet.

"Me! I call dibs! You broke their faces, so I get to break their legs. It's perfect!"

She maniacally laughs and darts away towards the stage with Magnhild in hand.

"Well... I suppose that works," Ren sighs.


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Jaune watches the battle between RWBY and ABRN with a small smile.

_'They are certainly enjoying themselves.'_

Ruby silently pumps her fist in celebration after Weiss had covered her back from a sneak attack.

A sudden twinge is felt in Jaune's mind, and he frowns.

_'It draws near. I'll have to speak with Ozpin and Glynda very soon.'_

He claps for RWBY's well earned victory absentmindedly, failing to notice Pyrrha calling for him.

"Jaune!"

He looks up at Pyrrha.

"Didn't you hear me? Let's go down to the fairgrounds and meet up with RWBY to celebrate their victory. I'm sure they will be hungry."

Jaune nods, "Of course. That sounds good."

As he and his team make their way towards the transportation docks on Amity, the sound of distant thunder rumbles in the distance.

"That is strange," Pyrrha tilts her head. "I don't recall a forecast of a possible storm. In fact, the skies are supposed to be clear all week."

She notices Jaune staring out into the distance.

"Jaune? Is something wrong?"

"Just pondering about the upcoming battle..."

_"Final call for those going down to the Beacon fairgrounds! Final call!"_

* * *

***** The Fairgrounds *****

"A Simple Wok?"

"Looks like they've already started," Ren says.

As JNPR get within hearing distance, the shop keeper flings a card into Weiss's direction, embedding it into the table.

"What?! How can my card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance!" She exclaims.

Off to the side, Blake is hugging her bowl in desperation.

"Noooooo!" she cries when the shop keeper snatches it away.

"Even during a meal, they cause a scene," Jaune sighs to himself.

"Perhaps I can help?" Pyrrha approaches the stand with a card in her hand.

"Awww, you don't have to," Yang says sheepishly.

"But she could!" Blake glares at Yang, mentally telling her to shut her mouth.

Pyrrha laughs, "Well, I think you all earned it after that battle."

She hands her card to the shop keeper.

* * *

A hearty belch escapes Nora's mouth as she leans back in her seat in satisfaction.

"Are you sure it's wise for us to eat right before our fight?" Ren asks Pyrrha while looking slightly sick.

"Of course! It will give us energy." Pyrrha confidently replies.

Jaune looks down at his half full bowl in disgust.

"You all have black holes for stomachs."

"What's a black hole?" Weiss curiously asks.

_'Slip of the tongue.' _

"It's just a figure of speech." Jaune smoothly replies. "It means big capacity."

Nora grins at her leader.

"Well, if you ever feel the urge to barf, aim it at the enemy!"

Ren puts his face into his palm. "Nora. That is disgusting."

"So... Pyrrha, Ren, Nora,... Vomit Boy," Ruby playfully grins. "You guys feel ready?"

Eyebrow slightly twitching at that nickname, Jaune calmly replies, "I'm sure that we will be fine."

"Pfft, that's an understatement of the century," Nora scoffs. "We've got a world renowned fighter, Ren's basically a ninja, I can bench five of me, and Jaune is... Jaune!"

"Regardless," Ren closes his eyes. "We must not be overconfident."

"Oh please, I think you guys will be just fine." Yang waves Ren's caution away. "Honestly, your team is a bit ridiculous, especially with Pyrrha and Jaune."

Jaune sighs, "Thank you for your vote of confidence, but we really should be going or else-"

_"Would Team JNPR **please** report to the battle immediately!"_

_"Yes! Like they were scheduled to, several. Minutes. Ago!"_

"we will be late." Jaune finishes.

"Well, looks like this is it!" Pyrrha cheerfully says, her competitive nature starting to show.

"Yeah! Go get 'em!" Ruby cheers and pumps a fist into the air.

* * *

_"Team JNPR of Beacon versus Team BRNZ of Shade!"_

"Well Jaune's team certainly looks pretty relaxed," Coco smirks. "Though... I can't say the same about BRNZ."

"Honestly, can you blame them?" Yang remarks. "Even if you exclude Pyrrha, there's Nora who hits like a truck. Ren who is always a constant threat due to being sneaky. And Jaune who is... well, everyone saw his beat down of CRAS."

"Dominating." Yatsuhashi states, while Fox nods in agreement.

"Hmm... It's weird. When I first met Jaune, my initial impression was that he was not very experienced with fighting. I was further convinced of that from his behavior when we were getting launched into the Emerald Forest for initiation." Ruby wonders aloud.

"Huh, you have a point."

Yang shudders as she remembers the onesie Jaune wore.

"He didn't seem to be the most... reliable?"

"It's almost like he became a different person after initiation." Ruby mutters, then suddenly looks at Blake. "Hey, doesn't that remind you of the book you were reading that night?"

"The story of the man with two souls?" Blake nods. "It's one of my favorites."

She gives Ruby a small smile. "Are you suggesting that Jaune is someone with two souls?"

"What? Of course not, that's crazy." Ruby scoffs and waves her hands.

Yang snickers into a hand. "I wouldn't put it past her. When she was younger, I used to read her fairy tales to bed. She believed all of them to be true."

"Yang! Shut up!" Ruby grabs and throws a handful of popcorn.

Weiss simply snorts in amusement.

"Weiss, not you too!" Ruby whines.

Coughing into her hand, Velvet points towards the arena. "Look, they're about to begin."

_"3... 2... 1... Begin!"_

* * *

Holographic roulettes encircling the arena spin rapidly through various symbols and colors before finally landing on a green pine tree on BRNZ's side, and a gray thunderstruck mountain on JNPR's. Their respective side of the stage opens up and the Amity biome system reveals a small forest, and a rocky outcrop with small thunderclouds above it.

Immediately after the biome stages are set, Jaune quickly instructs his team.

"Nora, go straight to the top of the outcrop as soon as the match begins. Pyrrha and I will take the front, drawing their attention. In the meantime, Ren, you will flank them from the side while they are distracted."

Nora eyes the thunderclouds and maliciously grins, "Gotcha."

_"3... 2... 1... begin!"_

As per the plan laid out by Jaune, Nora turns on her heels and runs straight towards the rocky outcrop behind them.

"Shall we dance, dear partner?"

Pyrrha chuckles in response and positions her weapon. They both dash into a sprint towards the opposing team.

May Zedong, the long range support of her team, immediately falls back into the treeline. Scanning her surroundings, she quickly locates a suitable position and scales the tree with a few jumps. She perches herself and peers through her scope. A gasp escapes as Jaune and Pyrrha are already rapidly approaching the rest of her team.

_'They're fast!' _

She trains her crosshairs onto Jaune and rapidly pulls the trigger of her gun. Her eyes widen when Jaune deflects all of her shots away with his sheathed weapon without a single glance.

_'What the. Seriously?! He didn't even flinch!'_

She grits her teeth and switches to explosive rounds with the press of a button using her thumb. Sticking a tongue out to the side, she takes aim once again and fires her rounds.

To Jaune's eyes, the Dust rounds are flying towards him and Pyrrha in slow motion.

_'Fire Dust?'_

With a quick flick of his wrist, Jaune draws Crocea Mors and cuts down the Dust rounds in midair with Aura blades. In the meantime, Pyrrha engages with BRNZ's leader Brawnz Ni. She blocks his clawed fists with her xiphos and promptly counters with a shield bash, knocking him back. She follows up with a duck of her head, narrowly dodging Nolan Porfirio's cattle prod weapon.

As Pyrrha's head is lowered, Jaune takes the opportunity and strikes Nolan with a flurry of Aura blades, blowing him away from Pyrrha. Without turning his head, he raises his shield to block Roy Stallion's buzzsaw gloves and smoothly steps within his defenses. With a kick to his side, Roy flies and crashes into Brawnz and Nolan.

Jaune nods at Pyrrha, who acknowledges his signal, and they both jump away from the three members of BRNZ. Before they could react, a flash of pink appears beside them, accompanied by a maniacal laugh. With a crackle of pink lightning, the three boys are blasted into the side of the hard-light arena boundaries.

Casually sheathing his weapon and patting the dirt off his clothes, Jaune steps to the side in order to avoid colliding with May Zedong, who had been tossed out from the forest by Ren. The members of JNPR surround May and stare down at her with curious looks. Jaune holds out a hand.

"Surrender?"

May lets out a defeated sigh and grabs her opponent's hand, allowing herself to be pulled up onto her feet.

_"What an astounding display of teamwork by Team JNPR! Nora Valkyrie took advantage of the terrain and her Semblance by immediately heading towards the thunderclouds. In the meantime, Pyrrha Nikos and Jaune Arc drew all attention towards them with their exemplary performance in a 2 vs 3 with May Zedong providing covering fire. However, much like Miss Valkyrie, Lie Ren was left forgotten by team BRNZ, and was able to sneak up and take out May!"_

The audience cheers loudly as the key events of the match are replayed in slow motion on the screens.

Within the audience members are Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury.

"Well that wasn't a surprise," Mercury stifles a yawn.

"Even though it wasn't a surprise, Jaune Arc is displaying greater abilities every time we see him." Emerald comments worriedly. "It's almost impossible to accurately gauge his strength."

"True..." Mercury sits up and stares down at JNPR celebrating. "Maybe I should have challenged him instead of Pyrrha Nikos."

"There is no point wondering about _what ifs_." Cinder narrows her eyes. "When I get what's mine, none of this will matter."

* * *

***** Crow Bar *****

"Those kids were amazing!" the bartender comments as he wipes the surface of a glass in his hands.

"I guess so."

"That was the best fight all day by far. If you're not blown away by that, then what fight are you here for?" the bartender questions Qrow.

An aircraft with elegant ribbons flies by in the background.

Finishing his drink and swaying onto his feet, Qrow slurs, "That one."

He slams his glass down onto the counter and throws a few Lien alongside it.

"Happy Vytal Festival!"

* * *

Jaune stretches his arms as he waits for the transport ships at the docks. He'd informed his team that there was some urgent business he had to take care of alone.

_'Now's a good time as ever to find Ozpin.'_

Whispers are heard around him as students and audience members recognize Jaune and his most recent performance in the Tournament.

"Isn't that Jaune Arc from JNPR? That fight just now was crazy!"

"He's kind of cute..."

"Wasn't he a bit of a psycho during the qualifiers?"

"I actually kind of like a bit of crazy..."

"What the..."

_'Hmm..._'

Jaune grunts to himself, hearing the comments around him.

"Hey Jaune!" Ruby's voice calls out.

He turns around to see Ruby and Weiss running towards the transport docks. Surprisingly, Weiss was displaying two rare emotions, anxiety and excitement.

Jaune raises an eyebrow and points a finger while asking Ruby.

"What's with her?"

Ruby shrugs, "She keeps saying that _she's_ here over and over. Whoever that is. I have no idea."

As the transport ship doors open, Weiss practically jumps into it.

"Hurry up you two! I will _not_ be late due to you two dilly dallying!"

"Now I have to see what's going one." Jaune whispers to Ruby. "She's acting very... abnormal."

"Right?!" Ruby nods rapidly in agreement. "That's why I'm following her in the first place!"

Throughout the entire ride down, Weiss's feet restlessly tap on the floor while staring intently out the window. When they finally land, Weiss sprints out and runs towards another docking station, which is currently occupied by an elegant looking ship with long ribbons trailing on its fins.

"Weiss! What is the big deal! What is going on!" Ruby yells as she catches up with her partner.

Jaune casually jogs up to them and hears Weiss affectionately call out, "Winter!"

_'Winter? A relative perhaps?'_ Jaune peers at young lady clad in military uniform walking out from the ship. Her snow white hair billowing out behind her.

_'Definitely older sister. No questions about it.'_

"Winter!" Weiss calls out with an excited smile.

"Wait... your sister?" Ruby asks wide eyed.

Weiss skips up to her elder sister. "I'm so happy to see you! ... Oh!"

She curtsies.

"Your presence honors us."

Jaune snorts at Weiss's behavior, yet keeps a small smile on his face.

_'She holds her sister in very high regard.'_

Winter glances around before directing her gaze at Weiss.

"Beacon. It's been a long time. The air feels... different."

"Well, I mean it is Fall, so, eh... it's probably colder..." Ruby comments.

_'...'_

Weiss punches Ruby on the shoulder before turning back to her sibling.

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Classified."

"Right. Well, how long are you staying?"

"Classified." Winter repeats with a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"Of course," Weiss nods in understanding.

Ruby looks around pensively. "Well, this is nice... I think?"

_'Ruby...'_

"Oh, you're going to love it here!" Weiss says excitedly. "I know you travel a lot, but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas! The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it? I-"

"I'm more than familiar with how this Kingdom handles its... bureaucracy. But that is not why I came." Winter interrupts with a roll of her eyes.

"Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle."

_'This is some tough love...' _Jaune mentally chuckles.

"B-but, we won!" Weiss reponds incredulously.

"Only a novice would refer to _that_ as a victory." Winter brings an arm up and gestures to the AK-200s behind her.

"Leave us."

After they take a step backwards into formation, Winter sighs and gives Weiss a small smile.

"How have you been?"

Weiss's face brightens again. "Oh, splendid! Thank you for asking. I'm actually among the top ranking of our sparring class. And the rest of my studies are going wonderfully too. I'm-"

Winter's hand comes down and chops Weiss' head.

"Silence you boob! I don't recall asking you about your ranking. I'm asking how you've _been_. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

Weiss rubs the bump on her head with a wince.

"Well... there's Ruby. Jaune too, I guess."

_'I guess?'_

Ruby giggles and pokes Weiss's bump. "Heh! Boob."

Winter glances at Ruby with studious eyes.

"I see... So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately... underwhelming."

"Uh... thank you!" Ruby awkwardly replies.

_'Ruby, that wasn't exactly a compliment.'_

Winter nods and says in a formal tone.

"Greetings, Ruby Rose. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

Ruby stammers as she searches for an appropriate reply.

"Oh, uh... yes, of course! The honor is in my... court!" She attempts to salute and curtsy like Weiss had done earlier.

Unable to watch any longer, Jaune grabs Ruby's shoulder and holds her in place.

"What are you doing?" He whispers.

"I don't know! Help me!" Ruby hisses in panic.

Clearing his throat, Jaune straightens himself and greets the older Schnee sibling.

"Greetings to you, Miss Winter Schnee."

"You must be Jaune Arc." Winter sizes up the boy standing before her, then smiles. "Your performance in the Tournament so far has been very impressive. Today's match was especially so with your team's coordination."

Weiss looks down at her feet in jealousy.

"As you say, it is a team victory," Jaune smiles back. "It requires the upmost effort from all the members. I would say the same praise applies to Team RWBY."

Weiss looks up in surprise.

Winter's eyes glimmer with interest, then turns to Weiss with a gentle smile.

"You've found some good friends during your time here in Beacon."

She turns her eyes towards Beacon campus.

"I have some business with the General and your Headmaster. But seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"

"Really?" Weiss brightens.

"Yes. I wish to inspect them and make sure that they are up to my personal standards." Winter turns to Jaune and Ruby and nods. "It was a pleasure meeting you two. Please continue to treat my sister well."

_'It means much more than you two may realize,' s_he thinks to herself.

As Weiss and Winter walk towards the Academy, along with the AK-200s, Ruby awkwardly waves goodbye to them.

"We'll catch up later- I mean, I will... reconvene with you both... at a later... juncture!"

She sighs to herself, then tilts her head up at Jaune.

"I know... I should've kept my mouth shut," she mutters

Jaune snorts in amusement.

"How are you and Yang so different when it comes to social situations. It's beyond my comprehension..." He feigns amazement.

Ruby narrows her eyes and pouts. Jaune's gaze suddenly shifts towards the direction Weiss and Winter went. He also notices Raven perched on top of a lamp post.

"Looks like there's a commotion up ahead."

"Oh no!" Ruby exclaims, and sprints, leaving rose petals in her wake. Jaune sighs to himself and follow's Ruby's trail, making eye contact with Raven along the way.

_'Yang isn't here right, so what's got you so interested?'_

"What's going on?" Ruby asks.

"Some crazy guy just started attacking my sister!" Weiss exclaims furiously.

Ruby gasps in horror.

"Oh no! Who would do such a th-, that is my uncle!" Her concern instantly transforms into excitement.

"What?!" Weiss's mouth drops.

Ruby pumps her fist in the air and cheers, "Kick her butt, Uncle Qrow!"

Weiss glares at Ruby and cheers for her sister in response.

"Teach him respect, Winter!"

_'Crow? Her uncle's name is Crow?' _Jaune glances back towards Raven and instantly connects the dots.

As Qrow and Winter's brawl in the courtyard escalates, the grounds around them progressively sustains more damage. Qrow's sword impacts the ground, cracking it and sending debris into all directions.

_'These two idiots!' _

Jaune frowns in annoyance and condenses Aura into his fingertips.

With subtle movements with his hands, he deflects the rubble to fly harmlessly past the surrounding crowd. Aside from Raven, everyone would simply believe that it was pure luck that no one got seriously injured by the collateral damage. As the fight reaches its climax, Winter screams and propels herself forward, aiming a thrust at Qrow's neck.

"Schnee!" A voice commands.

Winter reacts instantly and halts in her tracks, her blade inches away from its target. She turns on her heels to face General Ironwood, who is accompanied by Penny Polendina. With a nervous expression, Winter lowers her weapon and salutes.

"General Ironwood, sir!"

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" The General sternly questions.

"He started the altercation, sir!" Winter responds.

Qrow pokes his head out from behind and lazily puts his hands behind his head.

"That's actually not true. She attacked first."

Ironwood narrows his eyes at Winter.

"Is that right?"

Winter pauses with her mouth slightly open, then averts her eyes in shame. Ironwood sighs and turns his attention towards Qrow.

"And you... What are you doing here?"

Qrow snorts and retorts, "I could be asking you the same thing."

"I-"

"Now everyone," Ozpin's voice sounds out as he arrives at the scene with Glynda.

"There is a sanctioned fight happening right around the corner at the Colosseum, that I can assure you has better seats, and popcorn."

"Break it up everyone! We will take care of this mess." Glynda shoots a deadly glare to Qrow and the Atlesians. She adjusts her glasses and flicks her riding crop towards the damaged parts of the courtyard, quickly repairing them.

Ironwood subtly nods at Ozpin and takes Winter along with him, heading towards Beacon Tower. Penny follows closely behind, but quickly waves at Ruby before doing so. In the background, Ruby jumps into her uncle's arms, clearly excited to see him. Leaving them to their devices, Jaune approaches Ozpin.

"Good evening Jaune," Ozpin greets.

"Hello Ozpin," Jaune nods. "Is this a bad time?"

"Hmm..." Ozpin takes a sip from his mug. "There are some pressing matters to deal with at the moment." He gestures towards Qrow. "Why? Is something wrong?"

Jaune says in a low voice, "_It _is coming."

Ozpin's eyes slightly narrow and asks in an hurried tone.

"When?"

"In a day or two. Though it's on a short notice, I must leave by tonight."

Ozpin thinks to himself for a moment.

"Come to my office later tonight. Glynda and I should be done with our talk with Ironwood and Qrow by then."

"I'll see you then," Jaune nods and turns to rejoin Ruby.

"Qrow!" Ozpin calls out. "A word, please."

* * *

The elevator door leading to Ozpin's office opens with a hiss and Jaune strolls in.

"Where's Glynda?" He looks around. His divine sense fails to locate her.

"She is currently finalizing the arrangements you requested regarding the Emerald Forest, ensuring that nothing within our control can go wrong." Ozpin looks out the window, towards the Emerald Forest. "And you're certain you must leave tonight?"

"I'm certain," Jaune nods as he joins Ozpin to look at the view. "What of my teammates?"

"I'm afraid that no matter what excuse we give them, they will inevitably worry," Ozpin sighs. "I suppose the easiest excuse to use would be that some family matters had suddenly surfaced for you to deal with."

"Hmm... A bit of a typical excuse, but it should work. Though I doubt they'll fully buy it."

"I'm well aware of that," Ozpin chuckles. "But being the headmaster comes with some perks. One of which is people's hesitance in questioning my word."

Jaune glances at Ozpin with an amused smile, "Isn't that abuse of power?"

Ozpin shrugs and takes a sip from his mug. After a few moments of silence, he asks in a soft voice, "Are you ready for _it?_"

"I am as prepared as I can be. Do not forget that this is not the first time I've been through this," Jaune lightly laughs, "I have confidence in my experience. Besides, death is nothing to fear."

"... I suppose you're right..."

The Scroll on the desk buzzes and vibrates.

"It would seem that Glynda is ready to meet us at the cliffs."

* * *

***** Beacon Cliffs *****

A thunderclap rumbles in the distance and light rain begins to fall from the skies. Glynda activates her Semblance, creating a barrier around them to keep the water out.

"I've uploaded a map marked with the location fulfilling your requirements into your Scroll." Glynda adjusts her glasses and looks up from her Scroll. With a concerned voice, she asks, "Are you ready?"

"Hmm... who knows?" Jaune walks out from Glynda's barrier to stand at the edge of the cliff. He tilts his head up towards the dark clouds above, water pelting his face and hair turning slick from the moisture.

"You two, tread with caution. The Tribulation will have concluded for better or for worse when the storm ceases."

He launches his blades into the distance.

"I hope to see you all alive when I return."

Jaune kicks off from the cliff and activates the gravity Dust, pulling him through the air, deep into the Emerald Forest.

Ozpin takes a deep breath and turns to Glynda with a grim expression.

"Please bring Miss Nikos into my office tomorrow after the doubles matches."

Glynda's eyes slightly widen.

"Professor, you're-"

"I'm afraid so," Ozpin closes his eyes. "It would be wise to have a contingency plan. Just in case."

* * *

Jaune skids to a stop, then checks his Scroll.

_'This is the spot.'_

He looks around with appreciation.

_'Glynda, you have outdone yourself.'_

Jaune stands on top of a plateau high above the canopy of the Emerald Forest. The light from Beacon Tower shines brightly in the distance.

The dark clouds above Jaune's head roars and rumbles the air. Scoffing, Jaune sits in the middle of the plateau with his legs crossed. Uncaring for the wind and rain battering his skin, he closes his eyes and slips into meditation, focusing on sharpening his mind to the upmost. Just as it is important to train the body, it is equally as important to hone the mind and spirit.

* * *

***** The following morning *****

Pyrrha stretches her arms as she wakes. Yawning into her hand, she sits up on her bed and rubs her eyes. She glances outside, where dark clouds loom in the sky and heavy rain pelts against the window. On the opposite side of the room, Nora snores loudly and Ren remains asleep, quiet as a cat. As her eyes pan over to Jaune's bed, her eyes widen. His bed is empty, and the covers are neatly folded.

"Ren! Nora!" Pyrrha calls out, waking up her teammates. Her voice is slightly panicked and confused.

"Jaune's missing."

Half asleep, Nora grumbles, "Jaune disappears all the time! What's the big deal?"

"In this kind of weather? Besides, he is always back before 6:30. It is currently 8:00!"

A knock on their door interrupts them. Pyrrha slides out of bed and looks through the peephole. She hastily opens the door upon verifying who is standing on the other side.

"Professor Ozpin," She says in a surprised tone.

"Good morning, Miss Nikos," Ozpin greets. "I apologize for disrupting you."

"No, it's no trouble at all, sir." Pyrrha responds politely. "Can we help you with something?"

"Not in particular," Ozpin muses. "But I did feel the need to come here personally to forward your team some news regarding your leader, Jaune. As you have already noticed, he is not present at the moment."

Pyrrha cautiously asks, "Where... is he?"

Ozpin sighs, "Apparently some urgent family business surfaced. He asked me to inform you all about it as he had to leave straight away. It is nothing too serious, I'm sure."

"I... see," Pyrrha's face looks thoroughly unconvinced.

Ignoring Pyrrha's expression, Ozpin continues, "In addition, he's informed me that for the doubles round, he'd like you and Miss Valkyrie to compete."

"Is that so..." Pyrrha looks down for a moment before looking back at Ozpin. "Professor, do you know when Jaune will be returning?"

"Believe me, Miss Nikos, we will all know when he returns." He enigmatically responds. He turns on his heels and walks down the hallway before pausing. "Good luck on your match today."

Pyrrha remains standing by the door, thoroughly confused.


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Pyrrha sits across from Ozpin in his office, with Qrow leaning against a column in the back of the room.

"Congratulations on your victory in the doubles round. It comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Your performance was exemplary."

"Thank you, Professor." Pyrrha humbly replies. "But I would have never made it this far without my teammates."

_'Jaune should be here, not me.'_

"Personally, I disagree. Aside from that Jaune Arc, I think it goes the other way around," Qrow scoffs with his arms crossed.

Pyrrha turns around and gets up from her seat. With a slightly hostile tone she asks, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Name's Qrow," he grunts.

Ozpin mentally sighs.

"Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine."

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here?" Pyrrha asks.

Smiling, Ozpin gestures to the chair.

"Please, take a seat."

After she does, he leans back and puts his fingers up to his lips.

"Tell me. What is your favorite fairy tale?"

Understandably, Pyrrha is caught off guard by this random question.

"I-I'm... sorry?"

"Fairy tales. Stories from your childhood. Surely you must remember some of them."

While still put off by the question, Pyrrha reminisces.

"Well... there's the _Tale of the Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower_..."

Ozpin leans forward with an intent gaze. "What about _The Story of the Seasons_?"

"Well, of course! A callous old man, who refuses to leave his home, is visited by four traveling sisters. The first understands his reclusive nature and urges him to spend his time in solitude to reflect and meditate. The second brings him fruits and flowers, tending to his crops and revitalizing his garden. The third warms the man's heart, convincing him to step outside and embrace the world around him. And the fourth begs him to look at all that he has, and be thankful. In return for their kindness, the man grants the sisters incredible powers, so that they may continue to help others all over the world. They graciously accept, and promise to share their gifts with the people of Remnant 'til the end of days. Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall; the four maidens." Pyrrha's eyes soften. "My mother loves that story."

With a distant look in his eyes, Ozpin asks, "Would you believe me if I told you that one's been around since I was a boy?"

Pyrrha laughs, "You're not _that_ old, professor."

Ozpin turns deadly serious. "Well, would you believe me if I told you it was true?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Pyrrha lets out an uneasy chuckle.

"What if I told you that there were four maidens existing in this world, that would wield such tremendous power, without requiring Dust?

"You mean... like a Semblance?" Pyrrha tries to make sense of all this.

Ozpin gives a small smile.

"Like magic."

Pyrrha looks down in befuddlement.

"Yeah... First time hearing this, it's pretty crazy," Qrow comments.

"Why... why are you tell me this?" Pyrrha struggles with her words.

Standing up, Ozpin gazes out his windows, being bombarded by heavy rain. "We tell you this, Pyrrha Nikos, because we believe you are to be next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers."

Her eyes widen.

"We?"

The elevator door opens, revealing Glynda Goodwitch and James Ironwood.

Fixing his tie, Ironwood says, "Sorry we're late."

* * *

Jaune remains seated as still as a statue on top of the plateau. Paying no heed to the wind and rain, his expression remains calm and serene. Meanwhile, the ink like clouds churn and roll above him like boiling water, becoming denser with every passing moment.

A red portal manifests beside Jaune, and Raven steps out into the rain.

_'Where am I? What is this?' _

Raven looks around, noting the surrounding forest and Beacon Tower glowing in the distance.

_'This is the Emerald Forest. What is Jaune Arc doing all the way out here?'_

A guttural thunderclap causes Raven to flinch and look up into the sky. She blinks through the rain.

_'Those clouds are not normal. They're almost... alive.'_

Her head tilts back down and locks onto Jaune, who has shown no reaction to Raven's arrival.

A wisp of white air escapes his mouth as he breathes out and opens his eyes.

Raven involuntarily reaches for her weapon and takes a step back.

_'Those are the eyes of a warrior. Someone fully prepared to face death.'_

Jaune slowly pushes himself onto his feet and impassively looks up to the maelstrom above.

_'It is finally time.'_

"Raven," Jaune calls out without glancing at her.

"I strongly suggest you move far away. Otherwise, you _will_ die by what is to come."

An ominous crackle of energy rips through the air, prompting Raven to immediately sprint to the edge of the plateau. Without a shred of hesitation, she jumps into the air and flies away in her bird form. She'd survived for many years without the need for the Kingdoms' walls. Right now, her instincts are screaming at her to get as far away from the plateau as possible.

Once she is several hundred meters away, the sense of dread dissipates and she lands on top of the forest canopy.

_'What the hell is going on?! What is this?!'_ Her mind races.

An enormous dark red maelstrom spirals above the plateau. As it spins, the clouds undulate like a beating heart, and serpentine sparks of electricity weave through the spiraling arms of the clouds. The sparks of energy slowly coalesce into the maelstrom's eyes. The air above the plateau turns deathly still, and all rain and winds pause, as if there is a sacred boundary around the mountaintop.

The 3-in-9 Tribulation has finally begun!

Jaune calmly gazes at the contorting clouds.

_'The first strike is always the weakest.'_

He remains standing without making a single move to draw Crocea Mors from his back.

_'My progress is meaningless if I have to resort to my sword in order to deal with the first strike.'_

A heavy pressure descends upon the plateau, and the air visibly contorts around Jaune as the Tribulation Cloud prepares its strike.

With a resounding boom, a thick yellow bolt of lightning cuts through the silence and shoots straight down towards Jaune's head.

Eyes gleaming with anticipation, Jaune spreads his arms open, inviting this challenge sent down from the Heavens.

_'Come!'_

Jaune baptizes himself in the pillar of lightning enveloping his body. Bolstered by the natural defense provided by the Black Tortoise, he absorbs the energy with ease. A series of cracking noises erupt from his body as the energy courses through his bones, muscles, and organs. Taking a deep breath, Jaune circulates the Heavenly energy through himself, taking advantage of this rare opportunity.

When the remaining energy of the bolt dissipates, the sky darkens once more. In the center of a small crater is Jaune remaining perfectly still with tendrils of energy skipping across his body. As he releases his breath, he casts his gaze up to the clouds with a smirk. The first strike has successfully been overcome.

* * *

The millions of viewers around the world, and the thousands in the Colosseum collectively gasp in horror as they witness Yang Xiao Long brutally attack her defenseless opponent without provocation.

"My leg! MY LEG!" Mercury cries out in pain.

"Yeah, well that's what you get for-"

"Yang Xiao Long, you will stand down immediately!"

Several Atlesian Knights and Atlas personnel surround her with their guns trained on her.

"What? Why?!" Yang demands.

"Why would she do that?! Why would she suddenly attack me?!" Mercury cries hysterically.

_'What?...'_

Yang's eyes widen as she finally looks up at the display screens above. The replay footage shows Yang circling Mercury, who is crouched on the ground exhausted. Then, she suddenly shoots him in the leg with her gauntlet.

_'B-but that's not what-'_

She turns her head towards Blake, Weiss, and Ruby. Her heart drops when she sees their horrified expressions. As if the universe wants to rub salt into the wound, a deafening clap of thunder echoes through the skies, illuminating the disgusted and horrified expressions of the audience.

Cinder smirks in her seat.

_'Even this unexpected storm works in my favor. Destiny is on my side.'_

* * *

***** In the waiting room of Amity Arena *****

Ironwood sighs tiredly, "All of you seem like good students, and the staff here at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did... under normal circumstances. What I believe and hope this to be is nothing more than the results of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgement can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes, you may see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is finished..."

"But I wasn't-" Yang blurts.

"That is _enough_. The sad truth is, whether or not it was an accident, it doesn't matter at this point. The world, millions, saw you attack an innocent and defenseless student. They've already drawn their own conclusions, and it is my job to inform you that... you are disqualified."

Without another word, Ironwood leaves their room.

Yang glances at her teammates in desperation.

"You guys believe me. Right?"

"Of course!" Ruby instantly responds.

Weiss shakes her head.

"You're hotheaded, but you're not a ruthless brute."

Blake remains silent, causing the others to look towards her.

"I want to believe you... but honestly, it's difficult."

She takes a deep breath.

"My mentor when I was in the White Fang. His name is Adam. He changed in ways I thought was impossible. It wasn't in an instant, but gradual. Little choices that began to pile up. At first they were accidents. Then it was self-defense. Then it became ruthless. All for the sake of the cause. I'm sorry... but this is all just very familiar."

Yang looks down at her feet, biting her lip with tears threatening to fall.

"But..." Blake continues, and Yang looks up.

"No two people are exactly the same. You've never done or shown any kind of behavior like this in the past, so it would be unfair of me to judge you based on my own experience. I _will_ trust you, but first, please look me in the eyes and tell me that he attacked you first."

Yang sniffs, then looks directly into Blake's feline eyes.

"I saw him attack me, so I attacked back."

Blake smiles in relief upon finding no deceit.

Yang sighs depressingly, "I still don't know what happened out there. But... I'd like to stay here for the rest of the matches, if that's okay."

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake silently assume positions around Yang to comfort her, and look towards the screen with the upcoming match. Pyrrha Nikos vs Penny Polendina

* * *

Jaune reaches up behind his back and smoothly draws Crocea Mors. The blade hums as he traces it through the air.

Meanwhile, Raven feels as if she if losing her sanity.

_'Insane. This is insane. Without a doubt, that bolt of lightning would have drained 90% of my Aura, and that is being optimistic. Yet, he stands there as if nothing happened?!'_

Her eyes widen when Jaune draws his sword.

_'Why is he drawing his weapon?'_

As if responding, the maelstrom clouds boil and rumble with even greater intensity than before. Even from her distance, Raven can feel her hair raising on their ends due to the energy in the air.

_'There's more?!'_

A pillar-sized bolt of deep red energy spirals into the center of the Tribulation clouds. The air grows doubly heavy, and the bolt strikes down like a viper towards Jaune's head.

As the red bolt streaks down the from the sky, Jaune siphons Aura through his Black Tortoise sigil on his dantian, then infuses the resulting qi into Crocea Mors, making it glow with dark blue energy. In a single motion, Jaune swings the blade upwards towards the incoming bolt with the flat side of the weapon.

The moment he makes contact, a burst of blue light engulfs his area, and for a split instant, a fierce tortoise entwined by a snake manifests. The red energy splashes all around Jaune, like rain impacting against an umbrella, tearing the ground apart with deep gouges and deep craters.

Jaune audibly grunts as the second strike of the Tribulation concludes. The smell of burnt clothes and ozone fills the air, and his breath is slightly uneven.

_'A red bolt... Those are normally reserved for the 6-in-9 Heavenly Tribulation.'_

Jaune narrows his eyes.

_'If that is the case, what lies in store for this third and final strike?'_

He glances down at Crocea Mors, which has several hairline fractures marring its surface.

_'Please hang in there.'_

* * *

Catastrophic thunder rips through the air as the audience stares in shock and confusion. One of the contestants, Penny Polendina, was just torn apart by Pyrrha Nikos. Wires, bolts, and sparks of electricity reveal to the world that Penny is a robot. A singular thought runs through the minds of the viewers.

_'What the hell is going on?!'_

Penny blankly stares at Penny's remains in abject horror. Her eyes are wide and mouth agape. Combined with stress of her meeting with Ozpin and the existence of the Maidens, her mind nears the brink of collapse.

_'Those swords weren't real. Then is this real? She looks like a robot, but am I hallucinating again?!'_

The screens suddenly transition to an ominous red background with a black queen chess piece in the center. A sultry voice begins to speak as the world watches the current events unfold.

_"This is **not** a tragedy. This was **not** an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men who claim to be our guardians, but are, in reality, nothing more than men. Our Academies' headmasters wield more power than most armies, and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to this power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl? I don't think the Grimm can tell the difference."_

Ironwood grimaces and grits his teeth.

_'I thought my scientists cleared out any traces of the virus!'_

He shakes his head, leaving that discussion for another time, then rises from his seat to march up the steps.

_"I ask you, what is Ozpin teaching his students? First a dismemberment, and now this? Shouldn't Huntsmen and Huntresses carry themselves with honor and mercy? Yet... I have witnessed neither."_

Back in their waiting room, Ruby bawls into the Yang's shirt, while she embraces her. Blake and Weiss are utterly shocked by the fact Penny was an artificial lifeform.

"A robot..." Weiss whispers.

Ruby shakes her head while it is still buried in Yang's arms.

"She's real! She had a soul, and now she's-"

She chokes her tears back, refusing to finish that sentence.

_"Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the Grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to the tyrannical dictator that has occupied an unsuspecting kingdom with armed forces. Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong. But I know the existence of peace if fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves. As someone who hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is... equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you: When the first shots are fired... who do you think you can trust?"_

The screen cuts to static and silence overtakes the Colosseum. When the automated system suddenly announces, everyone jolts out from their frozen state and erupts into pure panic.

**_"Grimm attack imminent. Level 9. Grimm attack imminent. Level 9. Please find the nearest exit in a calmly manner."_**

* * *

The Tribulation clouds undulate once more as it builds up energy for its third strike. A blood red bolt flickers amongst the clouds as it rapidly spirals towards the center.

_'A peak level red bolt!'_

Without hesitation, Jaune rotates his cultivation base to the fullest, refining as much Black Tortoise qi as possible.

The blood red thunderbolt screams downwards like a raging dragon with its maw open, as if showcasing its intent on devouring and destroying Jaune.

Jaune swings Crocea Mors with a defiant roar, and an ethereal image of an ancient tortoise flickers around Jaune as it absorbs the force of the Tribulation strike. Jaune can feel his body shuddering and shake as the impact shifts the entire mountaintop. A sharp crack echoes out as a portion of his defense succumbs to the pressure. Seizing the opportunity, part of the lightning slips through the opening and directly strikes the shoulder of Jaune's sword arm.

Jaune involuntarily steps back due to the impact and coughs up a mouthful of blood, staining his teeth red. Despite that, he holds his stance, refusing to lower his sword. After what felt like hours, the pressure finally lifts, and silence fills the plateau. With deep ragged breaths, Jaune falls onto a knee with Crocea Mors stabbing into the ground as support. With exhausted eyes, he looks over at the weapon, now nearly completely destroyed with large fragments missing. With pity in his eyes, he sighs in relief.

_'It's finished.'_

His reprieve is interrupted by a sudden rumble in the sky above, causing Jaune's head to snap up in shock. The Tribulation clouds did not disperse as they were supposed to, but is churning, signaling an incoming strike. Madness flashes across his eyes and Jaune releases an uncharacteristic maniacal laughter filled with bitterness.

"So you'll honor me and break the rules? Do you think you can do such a thing without paying a price?!" He roars at the Heavens.

Jaune condenses White Tiger qi into Crocea Mors, illuminating it white and yellow. He stands up and arches backwards like a bow drawn taut, and aims the tip of Crocea Mors at the center of the spiraling maelstrom. Releasing the built up tension, Jaune launches his sword through the sky like an arrow. A white beam of light streaks upwards and the majestic roar of the White Tiger can be heard as it pierces into the center of the Tribulation clouds.

A shockwave surges through the skies and the clouds violently flail. Like a balloon popping, the clouds rapidly disperse into nothingness, leaving nothing but the energy the clouds had managed to gather. A wisp of purple flame that darts down towards Jaune.

He reaches out and catches the shattered pieces of Crocea Mors falling from the sky, then looks up at the purple flame converging upon him with a gleam.

_'Divine flame!'_

Mustering up the last of his reserves, Jaune lifts his arms up, holding the broken pieces of his weapon towards the flame. A dark blue illusionary furnace manifests around Crocea Mors and the Divine Flame. The furnace shaped like a tortoise shell violently shakes as the flame thrashes like a wild animal trying to escape its confines. Due to the violent outbursts, small cracks run along the surface of the furnace, and traces of the flame's energy mercilessly lash Jaune, bloodying and burning him. Despite spitting out multiple mouthfuls of blood, Jaune's eyes remain steadfast and resolved as he firmly holds onto the furnace.

A final roar echoes out and the thrashing stops.

Jaune's arms droop down to his sides due to utter exhaustion, and he falls onto his back. His multiple wounds ooze and leak, forming a pool of blood underneath him. The heavily damaged furnace floating above his head fades away, revealing a reforged Crocea Mors. Its cross guard is no longer present and the blade width is thinner at 3 fingers wide. A divine glow emanates from the blade, and it hums in joy as it circles above Jaune, celebrating its birth as a divine weapon. From the cosmos, a pillar of energy descends and envelops Jaune. He is wrapped in the light like a cocoon, healing and transcending from a Houtian to a Xiantian lifeform.

* * *

From her perch, Raven witnesses Jaune fall onto a knee after the blood red bolt of lightning strikes down on him. She can do nothing but stare in awe. Her skin tingles and stings as the residual energy of that energy bolt could be felt even at her distance. When Jaune's head jerks up towards the sky, a heavier ominous feeling washes over Raven.

_'Was he expecting it to be over after that last bolt?'_

Her eyes widen when a white beam of light pierces the sky. The resulting shockwave nearly causes Raven to tumble off the branch. She barely manages to catch a glimpse of a glow of light above Jaune's head, before he collapses onto his back.

_'Did he succeed, or is he dead?'_

Raven continues to watch intently, until she notices a sword hovering above Jaune.

_'A flying sword? That's not gravity Dust... Magic?'_

She grits her teeth and takes flight towards the plateau.

* * *

Jaune curls into a fetal position as the warm energy envelops him like a mother's embrace. With every breath, the energy surges through his body, rejuvenating and repairing the damage he had incurred during the Tribulation. Once healed, his body further strengthens to another level. His muscles tighten like coils of steel. His bones become harder than iron. The organs expel all impurities and his vital energy spikes.

His skin peels away, revealing new jade-like skin underneath that glows with luster. When the energy reaches his dantian, his divine sense rapidly expands, now able to passively cover an area equal to a large portion of the Emerald Forest. Jaune's mind and memory sharpens to beyond mortal capabilities to accommodate his newly improved divine sense. The sea of Aura within his dantian condenses and forms a massive pillar, signifying that his sea has successfully transformed into the foundation establishment for his future path.

When Raven lands on the edge of the plateau, the cocoon of light is fully absorbed by Jaune, revealing his figure. He slowly floats down onto the ground with a silent tap of his feet, then he opens his eyes. He gestures with his hand, and Crocea Mors hums in joy before settling onto the palm of Jaune's hand.

He delicately traces the length of the blade with his fingertips.

_'You will be my natal weapon...'_

With a thought, the sword visibly shrinks and disappears into Jaune's dantian. He turns his gaze towards Beacon tower with narrowed eyes. Through his divine sense, he can see that the Grimm within the forest have grown restless, and several hordes of them are heading straight towards the Academy.

"Raven," Jaune calls out.

Raven remains deathly still with her hand on her sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice. Her hands slightly tremble due to the presence emanated by Jaune, and knowing full well that she stands no chance, Maiden powers or not.

"Beacon is in danger, which includes Yang."

Raven flinches at Jaune's remark.

He quietly floats up into the air, his severely damaged clothes swaying around him.

He sighs, "I do not have the time to deal with whatever you're here for."

As he prepares to fly towards Beacon, he turns his head and meets Raven's eyes with his own.

"In the end, we must make our own choices. What will be yours?"

Without waiting for a potential response, Jaune bursts into speed as he rapidly soars through the sky towards the city and Beacon Academy.

As Jaune's figure becomes progressively smaller in the distance, Raven stands alone on the plateau with tightly clenched fists. Her eyes remain hidden under the shadow of her hair.


	17. Chapter 17(End of Volume 3 timeline)

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

"Honey!" A man's voice yells, snapping his wife out from her shock.

"Take her and run! Go now!"

The man grips his spear tightly as a pack of Beowolves form a semicircle around the family. The woman releases a sob of despair and lifts their child into her arms, then runs in the opposite direction. The man lets out an exhausted yet relieved smile, then turns back towards the Grimm before him with a resolute expression.

"Mommy? What about daddy?"

The child curiously asks her mother, who is running frantically through the streets and alleyways. A ghostly howl echoes through the air amidst the chaos. As the woman exits an alleyway, her foot catches on a piece of rubble, twisting her ankle as she falls. She twists herself mid-fall onto her back, rather than on her daughter. Whimpering in pain, the woman pushes her child away.

"Run! Save yourself and run. Do not look back!"

"What? No! Mommy!" The little girls bawls and falls onto her knees, gripping and tugging at her mother's clothes.

The mother's frantic pleas turn to whimpers as half a dozen Beowolves converge upon them. Their maws are bloodied red with ribbons of flesh hanging from their teeth. A glint of metal hanging on one of the Beowolf's teeth catches the woman's attention, and her eyes widen in horror.

The Beowolves surround the woman and child with their tongues hanging out in anticipation. They circle in slowly, savoring their fear. The little girl screams in horror, crying out for her mother and father repeatedly, while the mother's teeth chatter, knowing both of them were as good as dead. In a last ditch effort of desperation, the woman grabs her daughter and places her underneath her body, in the hopes that doing so would somehow spare her from the Grimm.

Unable to wait any longer, the Beowolves jump and lunge at the two humans, snarling and snapping their teeth. The woman closes her eyes as the inhuman sounds get closer, then... nothing. The snarling. The snapping. The sounds are suddenly gone. She slowly squints her eyes open and gasps at the Beowolves laying on the ground, dismembered and dead. Floating before them is a man in torn clothes. A flash of light seems to enter him before he turns to face the woman and child.

Jaune glances to the side and gestures with a hand, picking up the ring that had been lodged onto one of the beast's teeth. Gently, he levitates it through the air to the woman, who gingerly grabs it and hugs it close to her chest. Her shoulders heave as the reality of her husband's death hits her.

Jaune sighs and looks down at the woman and child with pity.

"There is a shelter further down the street, and you will not encounter any Grimm on the way there. I am sorry for your loss."

Like an eagle, he soars straight up into the night sky, leaving the woman and child behind. Tightly clutching the ring in her hand, the woman grabs her daughter's hand and limps onto her feet. Gritting her teeth from the pain, she slowly makes her way towards the direction that man had pointed out. The time to grieve will come later. Right now, she must ensure the survival of their child.

"Mommy? Was that an angel?" The child innocently asks.

The woman bites her lip and forces out a smile for her daughter.

"Yes it was, honey."

* * *

_'Even the AK-200s are attacking the city. James Ironwood... what happened here?'_

As Jaune soars above the streets of Vale, Crocea Mors lashes out around him, striking down both Grimm and AK-200s in his path. A twinge of irritation in the back of his mind makes him frown.

_'There it is again...'_

A sudden explosion causes him to stop, and Jaune tilts his head up at a massive Atlesian ship sinking from the sky.

_'If that lands in the middle of the streets, the casualties will be devastating.'_

Kicking off the air, Jaune soars up to the side of the falling ship. He quickly looks around and finds the park in the center of the city. Verifying that it is empty with his divine sense, Jaune takes a deep breath and clenches his fist. Tightening his muscles to maximum strength, Jaune strikes the hull of the ship with his fist, twisting the metal at the point of impact. The aircraft tilts to the side, now falling directly towards the empty park.

He swerves through the air to the underside of the ship and places both palms against the ship, and pushes out in an attempt to soften the impact of the landing. He grunts from the effort he exerts, and the ship's descent slows down considerably.

Despite his efforts, the military ship crashes into a heap, decimating a large portion of the park grounds and flinging tons of grass and dirt through the air. Jaune stands in the air above the ship and quickly scans the ship for any survivors. His eyebrow quirks up as he finds something peculiar.

_'Roman Torchwick? Hmm... if I leave him, he will burn to death.'_

Jaune releases a sigh and dives down into the burning debris. He scoops up the criminal with an arm and flies out onto the streets next to the park. With an unconscious Roman slung over his shoulder, he contemplates on what to do next. His eyes glance towards a certain direction.

_'I suppose that will do.'_

* * *

_'Roman!'_

Neo frantically depresses Hush's button repeatedly,but to no avail. The gusting winds are far too strong. Quickly growing desperate, Neo draws the blade from Hush and tears a hole into a section of her parasol, sending her spiraling down to the ground. Her mismatched eyes grow frantic and wild at the site of the ship Roman was on crashing in the distance. She lands on her feet and immediately begins to sprint towards the crash site as fast as her legs could carry her.

The air grows warm as she nears the burning wreckage. Her eyes dart back and forth, looking for any signs of her foster father's whereabouts.

_'Roman, where are you?!'_

She turns a corner of a street, and finally finds him. Bloodied, unconscious, and slung over the shoulder of an unknown man. Neo extends the blade out of Hush and rapidly approaches the man's rear, and lets out a silent scream as she stabs at his neck.

_'Let him go!'_

Without turning his head or reacting in any noticeable way, a finger shoots up and bats the blade away, like one would flick away at an insect.

Jaune turns his head and stares down at his attacker with a mildly annoyed expression.

_'This shorty. Her immediate reaction is to attack?'_

"Look, girl. If you want to save your boss, I would suggest you stop."

Neo pauses in her tracks, but continues to glare at Jaune. He gestures at the unconscious thief with his head.

"He is currently out of Aura, bleeding, and burnt. If you desire his survival, he'll need medical attention as soon as possible. I can make that possible, so it's in your best interest to cooperate with me. Do you understand?"

After a moment, Neo gives a slight nod.

"The medical facilities in the city are overcrowded and barely functional due to the Grimm outbreak. However, the ones in Beacon are designed to operate even during severe emergencies like this. Luckily for you and Roman here, I'm about to head to Beacon right now."

Again, Neo gives a nod, showing that she understands the situation. Not once has her eyes left Roman on Jaune's shoulder. With still wary eyes, she imitates checking a watch and points at Beacon Tower in the distance.

Jaune nods with an amused smile.

"Indeed, Beacon is quite far if you went by foot."

He suddenly disappears, and Neo's eyes widen in panic when she feels an arm wrap around her torso.

_'When did he-'_

Her thoughts are interrupted upon feeling gusts of cold air hitting her face, and realizing that she was now soaring through the air, hundreds of feet above the ground.

_'What?!'_

She feels herself get slung over Jaune's shoulder, and his voice sounds out in her ears.

"Don't struggle. It would be a shame if you were dropped."

As he soars through the sky, Crocea Mors materializes in midair and eviscerates the Griffons and Nevermores in Jaune's path. Within split seconds, dozens of Griffons and Nevermores surrounding them explode into fountains of black ichor as they are turned to mincemeat. Watching this from Jaune's shoulder, Neo fails to suppress a shudder as she realizes that had this man desired to do so, she would have ended up just like those Grimm he casually eradicated.

Several minutes later, Jaune lands on a rooftop at Beacon Academy and lays Torchwick down on the floor. Neo jumps off Jaune's shoulder and rushes to Roman's side, looking over the extent of his injuries. Jaune closes his eyes and covers the entirety of Beacon with his divine sense.

Absolute chaos.

Despite the professors and professional Huntsmen doing their best, the sheer number of Grimm and White Fang attacking the school are wreaking havoc and mayhem across the Academy grounds. Jaune unwraps the scabbard from his back and holds it out for Neo.

"Go down the rooftop exit. Once you reach a hallway, make a right and go straight down. You'll find a blonde woman with glasses and a riding crop. Tell her that Jaune Arc is back and he requires your companion to receive emergency medical attention. Show her this as proof."

_'His name is Jaune. That sounds... familiar?'_

Neo promptly grabs hold of the scabbard with both hands. She gives Roman a final look before sprinting down the rooftop stairway exit.

Jaune cracks his neck and conjures Crocea Mors into his hand, then kicks off the ground, soaring straight up into the sky. The Academy grounds will have to wait. Without a doubt, there will be some stranded in Amity that would be useful as reinforcements back on the ground. As he soars up, Crocea Mors strikes out in a beam of silver, mincing countless numbers of aerial Grimm.

* * *

***** A bullhead above Beacon *****

With the bullhead doors open, Adam stares down at the chaos below. Scowling at the unpleasant memory of that woman, he turns around and commands.

"Prioritize our own survival!"

_'For now we'll do as you demand, but __I swear you'll pay for this.' _

"... Release the Grimm!" He grits out.

* * *

Jaune soars past Amity Colosseum to stop above it in order to scan the area. With a brief scan, he finds hundreds of dead civilians, students, and Huntsmen/Huntresses strewn about.

_'The ones fighting on the Colosseum stage are the only ones still alive...' _

Jaune sighs in pity as he recognizes several of the dead students, notably several members of Team BRNZ and NDGO. Their eyes are open and glazed over with terror and pain etched onto their faces.

He rapidly descends towards a Nevermore striking at a group of students who are clearly exhausted and depleted of Aura.

The students frantically kick and crawl backwards away from the Nevermore snapping at their feet, as if taunting and savoring their desperation. The sound of a sickly crunch fills the air as the Nevermore's head drops while the rest of its body remains upright. The students look through the settling dust, finding Jaune Arc standing on the decapitated head of the Nevermore.

"Holy crap!"

"Is that... Jaune Arc?"

"Where did he come from?"

"He just kind of dropped from the sky."

Murmurs of awe and confusion sound out from the students Jaune had just saved. With a tap of his foot, Jaune's sword intent saturates the air. The sheer amount of pressure cause the Grimm to instinctively freeze in their tracks.

Oobleck and Port run up to the scene with additional students in tow that they had been defending.

"Is that you, Jaune?" Port's disheveled mustache rises in surprise.

Jaune nods, then asks, "Professor Port. Doctor Oobleck. Can you give me a brief explanation of what is happening?"

Oobleck steps forward to reply.

"The broadcast link was hijacked after an incident had occurred during a singles match. It was between Penny Polendina and..."

He hesitates for a moment.

"Pyrrha Nikos."

Jaune notes the dismembered robotic body in the corner of the arena stage.

He asks with concern, "What of my team, RWBY, and CFVY?"

"They were among the first batch of students who managed to make it back down. However, the increasing number of aerial Grimm have ended up stranding us up here. Quite frankly, things were not looking good for us."

Oobleck tiredly glances at the bodies and blood amongst the stands.

"We're going to the transport docks. It's time you all prepare to depart from here."

"Didn't you just hear Oobleck?" Port questions. "There are too many Grimm in the air!"

Jaune begins to walk towards the Colosseum exit.

"They shouldn't be a problem."

Jaune casually waves his hand, and a sound best described as combination of wind and grinding metal fills the air. The Grimm that were frozen this entire time are torn apart by an unseen force. The only indication that Jaune had done something is a flash of silver light entering his hand.

Oobleck, Port, and the students collectively drop their mouths at the sight.

"So are you coming or not?"

Jaune ignores their reactions and continues to make his way towards the transport docks.

As the only remaining professional Huntsmen, Oobleck and Port quickly shake off any questions they may have and focus on the main task at hand: get these students off Amity.

"Come now students! We must make haste!"

Despite their confused mutters, the students follow the lead of the two professors and Jaune, sprinting towards the transport docks and ships. When they arrive, the students quickly pile into a vacant ship.

"Jaune, aren't you getting in?" Oobleck questions while watching Jaune watch to the edge of the platform.

"No need," Jaune shakes his head. "I'll be clearing the Grimm on my way down to the school grounds."

"On your way down?"

Jaune ignores their question and peers down the ledge.

"The situation grows worse by the second. The school will need all the help it can get."

He turns to face the incredulous expressions of Port and Oobleck.

"Don't take too long to follow, or the Grimm will repopulate the airspace."

Before they could say a word, Jaune disappears as he drops.

* * *

As he dives through the night sky, Jaune scans his surroundings.

_'CFVY... and they're engaging with the White Fang.'_

He diverts his flight path towards their direction.

At the moment, Coco, Velvet, Fox, and Yatsuhashi are fighting with three dozen White Fang combatants. Individually, the White Fang are greatly outclassed by CFVY, but their numbers are starting to wear them down. In Jaune's eyes, there is a much more glaring problem.

_'The White Fang do not hesitate to go for killing blows. However, CFVY are not capitalizing on the White Fang combatants' openings due to fear of accidentally killing them.' _

Jaune frowns.

_'Being soft in war will only get you killed.'_

He sighs to himself.

_'In the end, they are still children, despite what they think of themselves.'_

Velvet narrowly dodges a blow from a combatant's weapon, but fails to dodge subsequent attacks from the surrounding attackers. With a cry, Velvet is knocked back and her Aura flickers, indicating its depletion. Breathing from exhaustion, she fails to react to a gun shot, grazing her thigh.

"Velvet!" Coco screams. She rushes towards her teammate and kicks the offending White Fang militants away from them with her heels.

"Coco!" Yatsuhashi yells out. "They have reinforcements!"

_'Shit!' _Coco grits her teeth as she helps Velvet onto her feet.

The four members of CFVY back up and form a four-way formation.

"What do we do?" Fox asks, out of breath.

Coco tightly grabs Giaduja, which is currently out of ammo.

"The civilians have yet to fully evacuate, and Velvet's injured."

She grits her teeth.

"There's no choice, we'll have to-"

Her command is interrupted the sudden appearance of a newcomer standing between CFVY and the group of White Fang.

"J-Jaune?!" Coco exclaims.

The other three members of CFVY express similar sounds of surprise. Jaune had suddenly appeared in front of them with torn and burnt clothes. His back faces them as Jaune confronts the White Fang, who have paused in their tracks, warily glaring at this man who'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Jaune holds his hand out to his side and summons Crocea Mors. The air instantly grows heavy, and Jaune coldly warns the White Fang standing before him.

"I will only say this once. Those who choose to retreat will live, and those who do not will _die_"

He laces the final word with bloodlust. CFVY and the majority of the White Fang can not help but shudder.

One of the more arrogant members scoff and mockingly says, "He's bluffing! These cowards don't have the guts to kill anything that isn't Grimm!"

He raises his weapon and charges at Jaune.

A brief metallic sound cuts through the air, and all fall silent. The White Fang militant who'd disregarded Jaune's warning splits into two parts, a red line going from his shoulder to opposing hip. As the two halves separate, his blood and entrails trail out behind him and spill onto the ground. The two halves of the body fall onto the ground with a sickening _squelch_.

Yatsuhashi's face turns green at the gruesome death. Velvet averts her eyes, while Coco and Fox are stuck in place, staring in shock at how casually Jaune had slain the man.

"Just like that? He killed him? No hesitation?" Coco whispers to no one in particular.

"K-Kill him!"

Enraged by their brethren's death, the majority of the White Fang draw their weapons and charge at Jaune.

_'What a pity...'_

Jaune steels his heart, and takes a steady step forward towards the oncoming group.

Velvet's eyes widen in horror, recognizing what Jaune is about to.

"Jaune, wait!" She cries as Jaune disappears from sight.

Jaune appears like a ghost in the middle of the charging group and swings his surrounding area with a horizontal cut. As a result, the dozens of Faunus around him get cleanly bisected at their waists. Their top halves fall to the ground wondering what had just happened. Just as quickly as he'd appeared, he disappears.

"Where did he- GAAAH!"

"Get him!"

"I can't see hi- URRGH!"

"He's a demon!"

"Mercy! Pleas-" ***SPLURT***

CFVY watches on in utter shock as the scene before them erupts into a chaotic storm of limbs and blood. Jaune weaves through his enemies, cutting them down without mercy, just as he'd warned. An invisible storm rages through the dozens of Faunus who'd decided to press their attack, hacking through their limbs and bones, completely disregarding whatever Aura they had protecting them.

_'Male? Female? Human? Faunus? They are all the same, and their lives were forfeit the moment they made their decision.'_

It is only a few short seconds since he'd started, and the last of the panicked screams turn silent. Standing in the middle of the sea of corpses is Jaune, illuminated against the broken moon in the background. Despite the pools of blood, limbs, and organs surrounding him, not a single speck of his carnage can be seen on his body or sword, painting a permanent haunting image in the minds of all those who'd witnessed his slaughter.

"Murderer..."

"Psycho..."

"Demon!"

Various whispers sound out from the remaining White Fang who had not attacked. Several of them are vomiting from fear, the gory scene before them, or both. One of the militants finally gathers her nerves and scrambles away, and like a domino effect, the remaining few claw and scratch as they clamber over each other to escape from this monster.

For the first time since he'd arrived, Jaune turns his head towards CFVY, who stare back with wide eyes. They are shocked by his calm expression, as if nothing had happened. It's like they never even knew Jaune, and this man in front of them now is a complete stranger.

Jaune dismisses Crocea Mors and sighs, ignoring the slight twinge in his heart upon seeing their expressions.

"Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi, ...Velvet."

Velvet suppresses a shudder and looks directly into Jaune's eyes.

"Was... Was killing them necessary?"

She does her best to ignore the dismembered body parts laying around Jaune.

Jaune closes his eyes.

"If I did not intervene, you four would have been overrun. Those White Fang were not showing any intention of letting any of you live." He pauses. "Perhaps Velvet was an exception..."

"But _this._"

Coco gestures to the carnage around him.

"This was excessive! You didn't have to do such a-"

"Coco," Jaune's deep voice cuts in. "This is war. Not a mission or training, but war. I took no pleasure in taking their lives, but believe me when I say this. Right now, it will either be you"

He glances down at the corpses around him.

"or them."

"B-but isn't that just like..." Velvet starts, but pauses, unable to finish the sentence. She sadly looks down at the ground.

"Like the White Fang?" Jaune sighs. "Perhaps... In the beginning their violent acts were a form of self defense. It's a sentiment that I can appreciate."

CFY stares at Jaune in shock, that he'd express support for the violent actions of the White Fang, while Velvet's expression is conflicted.

"Right now, our job is to defend the Academy from the enemy, through any means necessary." Jaune calmly says to them. "So you have a choice. Continue to stand there, or take action and protect."

_'What is your resolve?'_ Jaune mentally asks. _'This is their tribulation, and I will not interfere with whatever choice they make.'_

Coco averts her eyes from Jaune.

"Come on..." She mutters. "There are civilians that can still use our help. Let's go."

Velvet shoots Jaune a final complicated look of mixed emotions, as she limps away with the help of Yatsuhashi and Coco. As Jaune watches them leave the scene, he lets out a tired sigh and looks around him with pity, but no regret.

A beastly high pitched shriek thunders through the sky from the South. At the same time, a sudden surge of energy catches Jaune's attention and he turns his head sharply towards Beacon Tower. The constant tingling in the back of his mind suddenly erupts, causing Jaune to gasp in pain and grasp his head. The world around him slows to a halt, and his vision fills with white.

* * *

Adam flicks the blood off Wilt before sheathing it back into Blush. He looks up towards a shattered window of the dining hall he's in.

"Blake."

Gasping upon being discovered, Blake clenches her hands into fists as she steps into view.

"Adam... Why are you doing this? Why are you here? Why are the White Fang here?" Her voice's volume rising with every additional question.

The bull Faunus shifts his feet so that he's facing Blake directly, though he makes no moves towards her.

"So this is where you ran," he sighs.

"At least from here I can try to make a real difference," Blake retorts.

Adam scoffs.

"And you think you weren't making a difference while you were with us? Do you _seriously_ believe that the crimes of these humans can be solved by working for them?"

Blake flinches at those words. Those questions Adam posed are the very ones she had been asking herself everyday since she'd become a student at Beacon. During her time here, she'd found friends within the so-called humans that she'd been conditioned to hate nearly all her life. Ruby, a shining light of optimism and purity. Yang, a fiery companion that you can always count on to watch your back. Even Weiss, who despite being a Schnee, is capable of showing great kindness, in her own unique way.

Blake steels her eyes and straightens her back.

"I don't know if I can, but my time here in Beacon has taught me many things the White Fang never could. The way the White Fang spreads their message now hinges on fear and hatred. So tell me, Adam. Can we truly protect what's important to us if all our actions do is nothing but spur fear?"

"Pretty words, but that's all they are." Adam growls. "The White Fang of the past has tried precisely what you're spouting, and it **failed**! Violence will finally teach the humans that the Faunus are not ones to be pushed around like animals. Our actions bring results!"

"Blake!"

Yang's voice calls out as she runs up to her teammate.

"Why'd you suddenly run off? We have to meet back up with Ruby and Weiss!"

Adam's eyes narrow dangerously behind his mask.

Facing Adam, Blake reaches up and unties her bow, revealing her cat ears to the world.

"Adam, I'm going to continue fighting for the Faunus, my own way, with the help of my friends and family."

Adam clenches a fist and replies with a low voice.

"Like father, like daughter. You've forgotten all about what they've done to us? The pain? Deaths? They deserve the same!"

"Hey buddy, I don't know who you are, but you seriously need to back off."

Yang steps in front of Blake and engages Ember Celica.

Adam chuckles bitterly and tilts his sheathed weapon forward into drawing position.

"Who is this woman? Is this one of those _friends_ you abandoned us for?"

He grasps Wilt with his other hand and charges forward.

"I said to back off!" Yang cocks an arm back and punches out, firing a shotgun shell.

Adam suddenly accelerates, dodging the projectile and catching Yang off guard. He promptly knees her in the stomach, then kicks her away.

"My business is with _her_, not you, human."

He quickly draws Wilt and strikes at Blake's weapon, sending sparks through the air. Adam's other arm follows through with a punch to Blake's torso, only to end up hitting her shadow clone. He flicks his blade upwards, blocking a downward strike from Blake's aerial attack. As a response to her surprise attack being blocked, Blake immediately creates some distance between them using her Semblance.

"That always was one of your favorite combinations. Just who do you think taught you how to fight?"

Adam smirks, standing upright with his weapon sheathed. He presses a trigger, shooting Wilt out from Blush towards Blake. His hair glows blood red as his Semblance activates, and he charges after the weapon he'd launched.

Blake blocks Wilt with Gambol shroud and tracks the trajectory in which she'd deflected it, fully expecting Adam to grab it in midair as he always does. Her eyes widen in shock as she feels the heavy impact of Adam punching her in the stomach with the small amount of energy he'd built up in their previous clash. Blake flies backwards and hits a supporting pillar in the dining hall, breaking her Aura. She falls to the ground coughing and gasping, unable to move from the lack of breath.

By this point, Yang had picked herself up and witnessed Blake being flung through the air by whoever this White Fang member is. Her eyes turn red and hair ignites as her Semblance activates from sheer desperation.

"Blake!" She screams, and charges at Adam with caution thrown to the wind.

Adam internally scoffs and sheathes Wilt before getting into position. Blake's eyes widen through her tear filled eyes.

"No... Yang! Don't!" She croaks out between gasps.

With a ringing sound, Adam blocks Yang's strike with his blade, fully absorbing the momentum and strength put behind it, before sheathing his weapon. Glowing an intense blood red, Adam redraws Wilt at lightning speed, cutting through Yang's right arm, Aura and all.

Yang momentarily screams in shock and pain before landing behind Adam, unconscious.

"Yang!" Blake cries in horror.

Adam nonchalantly flicks the blood away and turns to approach Yang.

_'This is what you've replaced us with? How disappointing and insulting...' _

He raises his blade into the air in reverse grip, and holds it above Yang's body.

"Adam, stop! Please!" Blake cries out, desperately trying to crawl towards them.

As he's about to bring the sword down for the finishing blow, his eyes suddenly widen in alarm, then jumps away, barely avoiding a long red blade swinging through the space he was just occupying.

A masked woman stands protectively in front of Yang, her long blade drawn and directed straight at Adam.

_'Raven Branwen... What is she doing here?' _Adam tenses.

His Scroll suddenly begins to ring. Slowly backing away, he lets the call through, while never taking his eyes off from Raven.

_"Sir! We have an emergency! Heavy casualties!"_

"What?" Adam is taken aback, then demands with a commandeering voice.

"How, and how many?!"

_"I-it was a single man, no... a demon! We a-are not sure how many..."_

"How is that possible?!"

Adam's mind begins to race.

_"It's at least a... platoon's worth"_

"A platoo-" Adam's voice gets caught in his throat.

_'That's at least 60 troops! By a single person?!'_

Nearly crushing the Scroll in his hand, Adam gnashes his teeth. Shooting a final glare towards Blake, and a wary one at Raven, he turns on his heels and sprints out of the dining hall.

Raven smoothly sheathes her weapon, then looks around before picking up Blake's untied bow. Without a word, Raven briskly walks over to Yang and gets down on a knee. With almost hesitating hands, she reaches down and gently bandages Yang's arm to stem the bleeding. Upon finishing, she stands up and summons a portal. Before stepping through, she looks down at her hands, soaked in Yang's blood, then clenches them tightly before walking through her portal and disappearing.

_'Who was that?' _Blake wonders as she crawls towards Yang, inch by inch. As she nears and gets a closer look of her friend's missing arm, immense guilt weighs down upon her heart. Her feline eyes well up with tears as she blankly stares at the stump.

"Yang!" A panicked gruff voice calls out from the dining hall's entrance.

* * *

_**"... believe in destiny?..."**_

_**Gasps of agony, then silence. Death.**_

_**Flame. The hollow sound of a headdress as it lands on the ground. The taste of ash fills the air.**_

_**...**_

_**A blonde knight wailing in grief while on his knees. Hugging a shield, broken spear, and Scroll.**_

_**Despair... Loss... Pain...**_

_**"... just as we'd practiced..."**_

_**"... I'm just happy to be a part of your life."**_

_**"... always be here for you..."**_

_**Love... Heartache...**_

_**DO YOU BELIEVE IN DESTINY?**_

Jaune watches the vision in horror. He reaches out for Pyrrha, only to grasp a handful of ash. His heart begins to bleed as the pale dead face of Ying Yue overlaps with Pyrrha's as she takes her last breath of life. A long forgotten, unbridled rage and grief wells up inside Jaune.

_'Do I believe in destiny?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'AND I WILL SHATTER IT'_

The world around Jaune resumes, and with tears of blood streaming down from his bloodshot eyes, he pushes his dantian to the point of breaking and blasts off into flight.

**_'You won't make it.'_**

Something in Jaune's mind screams at him that his current action is futile.

_'I refuse to accept this!'_

Roaring with rage, Jaune slams his chest with a palm and spits out a mouthful of blood essence. Burning it without hesitation, he gains a brief burst of speed far beyond his current limits.

_**'It's still not enough. Her life is forfeit.'**_

_'Then take it all! As much as is needed!'_

Jaune slams his chest repeatedly, continuously burning his blood essence.

* * *

Cinder strolls forward to stand in front of Pyrrha. Staring down at her collapsed form with an arrow piercing through her ankle.

"It's unfortunate you were promised a power that was never truly yours."

Cinder kneels down, lifts Pyrrha's chin and smiles.

"But take comfort in knowing that _I_ will use it in ways you could never have imagined."

Pulling herself away from Cinder's hand, Pyrrha's stares back defiantly.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

Cinder's eyes narrow and she frowns.

"Yes."

She steps back to form an obsidian bow and arrow, and pulls back. Cinder releases the arrow and Pyrrha closes her eyes, accepting her fate.

A sudden gust of wind causes her eyes to reopen. Her expression changes from acceptance to shock.

"... Jaune?" Pyrrha whispers in disbelief. Tears threaten to escape her eyes as she stares at Jaune's back.

Jaune doesn't respond and crushes the obsidian arrow in his hand.

Pyrrha quickly grows alarmed and gasps as she takes in his appearance. Ghostly white complexion, and bloody tattered clothes.

_'What happened to you? What is happening?'_

An enormous Wyvern Grimm swoops down from the sky with a shriek and lands on the side of the broken tower. As it hangs on the edge, it growls at Jaune.

Jaune casts a cold glance at the Grimm and points a finger at it.

"Trash."

Crocea Mors materializes and cuts through the air in a line of silver. By instinct, the ancient Grimm swerves its body to the side, but fails to completely dodge the attack. As a result, nearly a quarter of one of its wings gets chopped off. Screeching in pain, the Wyvern kicks off the Tower and takes off into the air, fleeing to the South and wobbling due to imbalance.

Jaune swallows the blood that had surged up his throat, and frowns due to failing to dispatch that Grimm. He turns his eyes towards the woman who would have undoubtedly killed Pyrrha, had he not arrived in time.

_'Ash black hair and amber eyes... It's you. I should have aimed to kill you that night.'_

The one in question, Cinder Fall, fails to hide the shock in her eyes. That Grimm he'd driven off was thousands of years old. One that had been placed in Mountain Glenn in preparation for this day. And he'd injured and made it flee with a single strike?!

She resists the urge to step back upon seeing Jaune's cold, disregarding eyes. Feigning confidence, she brings a hand up and brushes her bangs to the side.

"Jaune Arc. I'm curious, just how did you suddenly appear up here?"

She silently gathers power within herself while trying to buy time with small talk.

Disregarding the fact she'd even spoken, Jaune immediately points a finger at her. Recalling what had happened to the Wyvern, Cinder's eyes ignite with the Fall Maiden's powers and she conjures a dense magic barrier around her. The barrier shudders and a small crack forms on its surface as the sword hits it. A small stream of blood escapes the corner of Jaune's mouth. Noticing this, Cinder smirks with confidence and outstretches a hand, firing a pillar of scorching flame.

Shuddering and taking a deep breath, Jaune grabs Crocea Mors and swings its flat side against the flames, dispersing it with Black Tortoise qi. As Cinder's attack fizzles out, the faint image of a massive turtle and snake lingers in the air for a moment, before it hisses once and dissipates.

_'What was that?!' _Cinder's eyes widen.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha exclaims in horror when he coughs up a large mouthful of blood.

_'Chance!' _

Cinder viciously grins and prepares to fire an even stronger blast of flames.

But before she could initiate her attack, Jaune takes a deep breath and points his finger once more towards Cinder.

She reacts instantly and conjures up a barrier even stronger than her first.

_'I've already seen that attack, and this barrier is even stronger. Stop struggling and just die-'_

***Thump***

Cinder's thoughts are interrupted, her confidence slowly changes to shock. Her eyes trail down from her shoulder down to the ground, where her left arm now lays, completely severed from her body. After several moments, the pain finally registers in her brain and the energy surrounding her eyes fizzle out. She grasps her bleeding stump with her right arm and begins to shriek in agony.

"M-My arm! My arm!"

Jaune struggles to bring his arm up for a finishing blow, but his body refuses to budge and his vision rapidly blurs.

_'I missed... That blow was meant to cleave her in half, but that barrier deviated my strike's path despite the tiny hint of White Tiger essence I was able to muster.'_

He vomits out even more blood and staggers backwards, losing his balance and collapsing onto the floor. As his vision fades to black, all he can hear are the desperate screams of Pyrrha and another screaming out his name. A brief flash of white enters the corner of his eyes as he loses consciousness.

_'Ruby?...'_


	18. Chapter 18

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

***** Patch *****

Taiyang sighs. He turns to his Scroll again to be met with the sound of static.

"Just turn it off Tai. Without the CCT, there's no point." Qrow grunts.

"Communication down across the entire Kingdom. No way to contact the outside world... and Ozpin's missing." Taiyang groans. "Things look bad right now."

"Yeah..." Qrow nods in agreement. "How are _they_?

Taiyang scratches the back of his head. "Pyrrha has refused to leave his side except for when she needs to eat or drink. The rest of her team come and go from Beacon. They're aiding the city with its repairs and driving off Grimm."

"Glynda's doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the repairs at Beacon and the city." Qrow sighs tiredly, "Any ideas on our next steps?"

"I don't know... There are so many questions." Taiyang sits down on a couch. "Qrow, what the hell happened to _him_?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Qrow sits across from Taiyang. "By the time I'd arrived, Ruby was laying unconscious next to _him _and Pyrrha Nikos. As for Pyrrha... she's refused to say a word."

* * *

Pyrrha is sitting by the side of a bed, staring despondently down at Jaune. His once golden hair now has streaks of gray, and his skin is pale and cold. She holds one of his hands in her own, hoping the warmth from her hands would transfer into his. She hears a knock on the door frame, but does nothing to acknowledge it.

"Pyrrha. It is time for dinner. Please come down and join us." Taiyang says softly. She gives the slightest nod, but does not move. Being familiar with loss, Taiyang lets out a sympathetic sigh and turns to leave.

After remaining by Jaune's side for another minute, Pyrrha gives his hand a soft squeeze and reluctantly leaves the room.

* * *

***** Another Room *****

The sound of birds tweet outside, and warm sunlight streams into the room and onto a bed. A few moments later, Ruby's eyes flutter as she wakes to see Taiyang asleep in a chair. Pushing herself up into a seated position, she lets out a quiet sigh, stirring Taiyang awake.

"Ruby!" He gets up and kneels by the bed. "You're awake!"

She rubs her eyes. "What... happened?"

"Your uncle Qrow found you, unconscious. He got you out of there and brought you home, safe."

Ruby looks down at her sheets in thought, memories still a blur. "Wait! Yang! Is she alright?!"

Taiyang flinches. "She's... she's gonna be alright. She's too strong to let this stop her." His eyes water for a second before he forces the tears down. "I'm just glad to have my girls back at home."

"What about the school? And Vale? Were the Grimm cleared out?!"

Taking a deep breath, Taiyang organizes his thoughts. "Things are under control at Vale and the school. That thing... whatever it was that was spawning Grimm during the attack, was last seen near Mountain Glenn. It sounds crazy, but it seems to be avoiding Beacon and the city, despite both being pretty vulnerable right now. Things right now are just... kind of a mess."

"It's always a mess." A voice interrupts. Ruby and Taiyang look to see Qrow standing by the doorway. "Tai, mind if I have a minute?"

"What? I can't stay here?!" Taiyang responds, sounding upset.

Qrow looks directly into Taiyang's eyes. "Tai. _Please_."

Standing up with a sigh, Taiyang kisses Ruby on the forehead and turns to leave, but not before shooting a glare at Qrow. As Qrow approaches the bed, he grabs the chair and spins it around to face the bed and sits with a slouch.

"So, how you feeling kid?"

"Um... I kind of hurt... all over."

Qrow chuckles and crosses his arms. "Makes sense. After what you did."

"What I... did?"

He leans forwards. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Ruby's eyes slightly squint as she tries recalling her memories. "I... I ran up the side of the tower, and when I got to the top, I..." She gasps, "Jaune and Pyrrha! Are they...?"

Qrow sighs, "Pyrrha's fine. In fact, you'll find her in the guestroom."

Ruby's eyes start to water. "And... Jaune?"

Her uncle scratches the back of his head. "That's... a little more complicated. He's the reason why you'll find Pyrrha in the guestroom."

"What do you mean by complicated? Uncle Qrow, please tell me he's okay!"

"That's the thing kiddo. His condition is... odd. You can go see for yourself once you have the strength to walk." Qrow gestures with his hand for Ruby to continue. "So when you got to the top, what happened?"

Clutching her bed covers, Ruby looks down as she now remembers the scene that night vividly. "I got to the top... and I saw Pyrrha kneeling next to Jaune... so much blood... I thought he was-" Ruby pauses as tears uncontrollably fall. "Then I saw Cinder... and then everything went white!"

"Anything else?"

Wiping her tears, she continues, "I remember... my head hurting."

"Ruby. That night you met Ozpin. What was the first thing he said to you?"

Though confused by the question, Ruby tries to remember. "I... I don't know. I think it was something about-"

"Silver eyes. "Qrow finishes for her. "That's an extremely rare trait."

"So?"

Leaning back again, Qrow gives Ruby a serious look. "You're special, Ruby. And not in the _"Daddy loves his special angel"_ kind of way. You're special the same way your mom was." Ruby's eyes widen at the revelation. "Remnant's full of legends and stories. Some of them true, some made up, but there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago. Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down." Qrow chuckles. "It's a ridiculous story."

"And... you think that I might be..."

"Well..." Qrow laughs. "There are dozens of Griffons laying at the base of Beacon Tower, petrified and crushed to stone. Why do you think I was able to get you all down safely?"

Mind racing, Ruby realizes something. "Wait. How did you know what Ozpin said to me the night we met?"

Qrow stands up and walks to the window. "All those missions I go on... all the times I'm away in some far-off place... it's been for Ozpin. But he's missing right now. Something's been set in motion, and with Oz gone..." He sighs.

"And what could I do? If I'm so special, then I can help, right?"

Her uncle walks to her side and rubs her head affectionately. "You can help by getting some rest. You're in no condition to do anything right now." He turns towards the door. "Rest up, kiddo."

* * *

Jaune's eyes slowly stir open. Wasting no time, he takes in the surrounding environment and diagnoses his condition.

_'An unfamiliar ceiling, but a warm bed and still alive. Safe to conclude I wasn't taken by enemies. Ah... there's Ruby... Yang... Pyrrha... and that Qrow fellow... who's the last one? The father perhaps?' _

He sits up on the bed as stares at his reflection on a mirror at the opposite side of the room.

_'Burning that much blood essence has taken a heavy toll on me... but how much?' _

With a sigh, Jaune closes his eyes and concentrates. After a few short moments, his eyes reopen upon verifying the full extent of his current condition.

He turns his gaze towards the doorway and sends a smile.

"Good morning, Pyrrha."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasps, then rushes to the side of the bed. "I... I thought you were never going to-"

A hand comes up and gently flicks her on the forehead.

Having heard the commotion, Ruby, Qrow, and Taiyang rush into the room.

"What's wrong, Pyrrha? Did something happen to-" Ruby's sentence gets caught in her throat.

Jaune gives a playful wave. Wiping her eyes on her sleeves, she sits on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"A tad tired if I had to be honest." Jaune cracks his neck. "How long was I out?"

"It's been about a week since the attack," Qrow responds with his arms crossed. "Sorry to say this when you've just woken up kid, but we've got questions that need answering."

Jaune raises a hand up, stopping Ruby and Pyrrha from protesting. He nods understandably. "Of course, but there is critical matter we _must_ attend to immediately."

They stiffen at the serious tone.

His stomach loudly growls.

"I am hungry."

* * *

***** Later that afternoon*****

Seated around a dining table are Taiyang, Yang, Qrow, Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Jaune.

With an eyebrow raised, Jaune asks, "Where are Weiss and Blake?"

The conversation around the table goes silent. Yang sets down the fork in her left hand and replies, "Weiss's father... came for her. After the attack on Beacon."

Ruby in particular looks distraught.

"No one outside of Vale right now knows what happened here. Before the CCT went down, the last thing people saw was Atlas attacking innocent people and Grimm destroying the city. Everyone's scared, and no one knows who to trust. So, daddy Schnee came back to take her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's _safe_." Qrow sarcastically emphasizes.

"And Blake?" Jaune sighs out.

"She..." Yang takes a deep breath. "After we'd evacuated the city and was taken back to Patch, she... said that she needs to visit home to see her family."

Her voice trails off before continuing. "Apparently, Sun is following Blake back to Menagerie."

"I see..."

The sound of glass slamming onto the table surface brings everyone's attention to Qrow.

"Since it looks like we're playing the _let's ask questions_ game, you have some explaining to do."

"I suppose I _do_ owe you all an explanation," Jaune nods and takes a bite of food.

"Alright then." Qrow leans back. "I've heard you disappeared a few days before the attack. Then, you're suddenly back when the attack happens. What's the deal?"

Setting down his utensils and folding his hands, Jaune organizes his thoughts for a moment.

"Where to begin... Many of the things I say will not make sense at first, so bear with me. I'll provide context as the conversation progresses."

Everyone displays varying signs of confusion at the strange disclaimer.

"Prior to the attack, I was deep in the Emerald Forest, where I'd be isolated away from the public. The arrangements were made by Ozpin and Glynda. The reason for why this was necessary was because I was facing a test of sorts, in order to get stronger."

"Test?" Ruby raises an eyebrow.

Humming in thought, Jaune poses a question.

"What are your thoughts of your place in the universe?"

"U-uh... um... what?"

"Worlds outside of Remnant, the afterlife, how the universe originated, nature of reality. Take your pick."

Jaune nonchalantly lists off.

"With our constant fight for survival against Grimm, we don't really have the time to explore philosophical questions like that. In case you haven't noticed," Taiyang replies with slight annoyance.

Jaune leans forward with a dead serious expression, looking straight into Taiyang's eyes.

"Those weren't philosophical questions."

Taiyang involuntarily flinches.

Holding a palm out and concentrating for a brief moment, the outline of a small white tiger appears. It roars once, sending shivers down everyone's spines, then dissipates into nothingness.

"Wait, what was that?!"

"Was that a Semblance?"

"No, Jaune's Semblance is different."

Jaune poses another question.

"Did you all know the universe has a name?"

Everyone pauses and does a double take.

"... What?"

"The universe. It has a nam-"

"We heard you the first time!" Yang yells exasperatedly. "What the hell are you talking about? And how did you do that?!"

With a mischievous grin, Jaune says, "Coincidentally, Hell has a name as well."

"..."

Jaune coughs into his hand, then looks at Qrow and Taiyang.

"Both of you may think that you're privy to the secrets of the world, but in reality, all of you are nothing but frogs in a well."

He pauses for a moment and takes a small breath.

"To be brief, the universe is called **_The Three Realms_**. As the name implies, three realms make up the whole. Those three are _**Heaven Realm, Earth Realm,**_ and _**Mortal Realm**_. I know for a fact that Remnant resides within the _**Three Realms**_, or more specifically, the _**Mortal Realm**_."

"I think our leader's lost his marbles..." Nora whispers to Ren, who understandably, looks slightly skeptical.

Jaune ignores the comment and continues.

"There is a practice known as cultivation prevalent throughout the _**Three Realms**_. To be frank, finding an individual who hasn't at least heard of it is rare, let alone an entire planet. Never in my life had I heard the terminology Aura and Semblance before I'd arrived here at Remnant."

"Arrived?" Pyrrha questions.

_'It's finally come to this.'_

Jaune heavily sighs, "Think back to the very first days of Beacon. What was your first impression of Jaune Arc before initiation?"

Counting on her fingers, Ruby lists with ease. "Awkward, dorky, not good in a fight, unreliable, and vomit boy."

Yang, Ren, Nora, and even Pyrrha nod in agreement.

Eyebrow twitching at the last, unnecessary entry, Jaune asks, "And what about after initiation?"

"Um... still kind of weird..."

_'...'_

"But oddly reliable."

"And one of the best, if not the best, fighter in our school." Ruby honestly replies. "No offense Pyrrha."

Pyrrha puts a hand up. "None taken."

"Don't you find that strange?" Jaune asks.

"I suppose... that is indeed rather odd." Ren brings a hand up to his chin. "All of us went through years of combat training prior to Beacon. Determining at a glance if someone is accustomed to combat is second nature to us. For all of us to have been wrong about Jaune is... unlikely, to say the least."

Qrow seems to realize something, then asks Jaune with a cautious tone, "Are you suggesting..."

"Someone finally realizes what I'm getting at. Indeed, I'm similar to Ozpin," Jaune chuckles. Qrow and Taiyang are stunned, while everyone else are confused.

"Uncle Qrow... What does he mean by Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asks nervously.

With a deep sigh, Qrow responds, "This was supposed to remain a secret until later. You see, Oz isn't exactly like a normal human. From what he's told me and Tai, when he dies, his soul will seek out a like-minded host to become the next Ozpin. Basically, he reincarnates and has been doing so for a long time."

"But... does that mean Jaune is also..." Nora gasps in realization. All eyes turn to Jaune.

"Yes," Jaune nods. "I reincarnated into Jaune Arc's body."

"But how? And why?!" Nora exclaims, mind boggled by Jaune's confirmation.

"Jaune Arc passed away when I'd reincarnated into this body. It's a key difference from Ozpin," He calmly replies.

"Wait... you asked us about yourself before and after initiation. Which means that's the time frame you reincarnated into Jaune's body?" Ren's eyes widen.

Pyrrha releases a small gasp.

_'Was it when... please... don't let that be the case.' _She silently prays.

"Were any of you aware that Jaune Arc's Aura was not unlocked?" Jaune sighs. "So you can only imagine what happened when he was launched off a cliff without the protection of Aura."

They all gulp at the picture painted in their heads.

Pyrrha bites her lip and shoulders shake, racked with guilt.

"Is something the matter?" Jaune asks with concern.

With hands clenched tight, she stutters, "I-I... deliberated on securing Jaune to a tree with Milo when we were launched, but I'd decided against it. And because of my hesitation... h-he..."

Her eyes begin to water. "Because of me, he was-... And Penny too-"

"That's enough," Jaune gently chides. "The fault for Jaune's demise falls on himself. He was naive enough to think that applying to Beacon through forgery with no formal training background was a good idea. As for Penny Polendina, the blame lies partly on my shoulders."

Pyrrha gives a small glare. "Jaune, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but making baseless-"

"The spar between you and Mercury." Jaune interrupts her. "At the time, I'd realized he was probing your fighting capabilities and Semblance. I made the mistake of assuming he was simply scouting out competition in the Tournament. No matter how you cut it, I hold some responsibility for the events leading up to Penny's death, and her blood is on my hands just as much as it is on yours."

Ruby sadly looks down, silently grieving for her friend, while silently thanking Jaune for acknowledging her as a living being.

"Question." Nora raises her hand straight into the air. "You've talked about your sisters and family. Did you just make that up?"

_'She's much more attentive than most give her credit for.' _

Jaune shakes his head. "The original Jaune Arc is gone. However, when I took over his body, parts of his soul remained and merged with my own. This included his memories, aspirations, and perhaps even some mannerisms."

"I could have saved him..." Pyrrha whispers in regret.

Jaune rubs the back of his neck.

"Look, making mistakes or having regrets is natural. Use these hardships to reflect and better yourselves for the future."

"You're talking like you're really old," Qrow observes.

Jaune hums in thought.

"I'm fairly confident that I'm older than Ozpin."

_'?!'_

"I doubt it," Qrow grunts. "Oz is at _least_ several thousand years old."

"What?!" Everyone exclaims.

"Oh..." Jaune blinks once.

The room sighs in relief.

"Then I'm older than Ozpin."

"...?!"

"Just... how many times have you reincarnated?" Qrow cautiously asks.

"Before my past life? No idea, as memories are typically erased when one goes through the reincarnation cycle." Jaune shrugs. "So from my current perspective, I guess the answer is once?"

"So you're implying that in just your previous life, you lived over thousands of years?"

Yang's eyebrow is raised.

"Remember the practice of cultivation I'd mentioned?"

Heads slowly nod.

"In simple terms, cultivation is the art of tempering one's body and spirit, in pursuit of the Dao. A natural consequence is increased longevity and strength."

"Dao? What's that?"

"The Dao are principles that uphold the universe. The Dao is _truth_, the _path_, or the _way_. Gaining insight into the Dao would allow the practitioner to harness and manipulate the natural world. However, there are risks in embarking on the path of cultivation. To the Heavens, to cultivate is to defy natural order, so, when a practitioner attempts to break through to the next level, the Heavens will test their worth."

_'Truth?' _Ren's eyebrow quirks up.

"So, you're saying that in your past life, you were one of these... cultivators?" Ren asks with his head tilted downwards and a hand on his chin. He suddenly looks up in realization.

"And you mentioned test... Emerald Forest... during that time period, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse..."

Jaune lets out a small smile. "Impressive, Ren. After I'd passed my tribulation, I rushed back to Beacon."

He leans back and throws a glance at Qrow.

"And there's the detailed explanation to your original question."

"That left us with more questions than answers..." Qrow grunts in frustration.

"Why isn't this common knowledge in Remnant?" Taiyang crosses his arms.

"Beats me," Jaune shrugs. "This is the first time I've ever seen an entire planet ignorant to the existence of the Dao and cultivation. It is strange. The way the inhabitants of Remnant are so closely tied to the power of their spirit is astounding. In the cultivation world, having such a natural affinity is incredibly rare, but everyone on this entire planet seems to be born with such an affinity. Honestly, it's a mystery I'd like to explore when the opportunity arises."

Pyrrha shifts in her seat as she slowly raises a hand to grab Jaune's attention.

"This... tribulation you mentioned. Was that why you were in that condition that night?"

Ruby and Qrow both grimace at the memory of the pool of blood Jaune was laying in. Even with his experience as a veteran Huntsmen, the amount of blood present was disturbing to Qrow.

Jaune closes his eyes, recalling the vision he'd seen of Pyrrha's death.

"Before I answer that question, can anyone tell me what my Semblance is?"

"Isn't it those... weird attacks you do? The ones we can't see?" Ruby tilts her head in confusion.

Ren shakes his head.

"No, Ruby. Assuming Jaune is not exaggerating about the capabilities of cultivating, it's reasonable to say those attacks could be derived from said cultivation."

"Well, yes and no." Jaune chuckles. "Those were Aura charged attacks in conjunction with sword techniques. The reason why my Aura is invisible is because it is exceptionally dense and pure."

Jaune gives the group a grave look.

"Before I inform you, I would very much prefer you all do not spread knowledge of my Semblance without my exclusive permission."

"We promise, Jaune." Pyrrha sternly responds. Taiyang, Qrow, Ruby, Yang, Ren, and even Nora, give a serious nod.

He takes a deep breath.

"My Semblance, as I currently understand it, seems to give me an acute sensitivity to fate, especially so for those who I care for. Usually, it feels like a tingling sensation in the back of my mind. In more... extreme circumstances, I will receive a full blown vision of what's to come. Additionally, I have no active control over my Semblance. It seems to be a passive type."

"And you saw a vision during the attack on Beacon?"

Jaune nods solemnly.

Feeling her stomach drop, Pyrrha whispers, "What was the vision?"

"I saw you die..." He closes his eyes, reliving what he'd seen.

"An arrow pierced through your chest and heart. Then all that remained of you was ash."

Nora and Ruby instinctively grab onto Pyrrha's arms in horror. Ren, Yang, and the two adults are wide-eyed in shock. Despite their varying degrees of skepticism regarding the information Jaune has told them, there is no doubt in their minds that he would joke or lie about the death of a friend in such a manner.

Letting out a breath, Jaune continues. "After the vision had ended, I immediately rushed towards the top of the tower. However, I knew I wouldn't make it in time. So, I grew desperate and did the only thing I could."

He reaches up and pinches a lock of gray hair.

"I burned a portion of my lifespan in exchange for speed far beyond my limits."

_'?!'_

Ren musters up a shaking voice, "Jaune... How much did you..."

"Don't worry about it." Jaune gently smiles, "Don't you remember that I said a natural consequence of cultivation is increased longevity?"

Pyrrha's hands clench hard enough to nearly draw blood.

"Jaune. Look me in the eye and tell me that you're okay."

He slowly brings his eyes up to meet Pyrrha's. Her eyes are misty, but she keeps her gaze locked onto Jaune's.

Gazing back, Jaune replies, "The reason why I have my current appearance is due to the backlash. Fortunately, it is only temporary, and I will return to my normal appearance as I recover."

The room's mood brightens up.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier! You scared us half to death!" Nora happily exclaims and claps the surface of the table. Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren, and Yang let out sighs of relief.

"Okay, for now let's ignore the fact that we're still coming to terms about you originating from outside of Remnant, and that you're reincarnated." Qrow says in a low voice. "What do you think our next move should be?"

_'Straight to business?'_

Jaune leans back in thought. "Before we can discuss anything regarding the attack on Beacon, I believe that everyone here should be informed about the forces at play."

He eyes Qrow and Taiyang, who briefly glance at each other.

With a deep sigh and a long drink from his flask, Qrow leans forward, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Alright... might as well just jump right into it."

"Contrary to what most of you may think, the Grimm are not just mindless monsters with no aim. They have a master who goes by the name of Salem."

Numerous eyes widen at the revelation.

"She's the true one that's behind the attack on Beacon, not Cinder and her companions."

Qrow takes another drink.

"Not much is known about Salem. She always works from the shadows, manipulating others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other. And in addition to Salem, there are also the Maidens."

Pyrrha shifts uncomfortably.

"The Maidens, named after the seasons, each have access to incredible power without having to use Dust, which Ozpin says is magic."

Qrow shrugs, "It sounds crazy, but I've seen firsthand what one of these Maidens are capable of. Anyways, when a Maiden dies, their power transfers over to the last person in her thoughts. If the person in her thoughts is a male or an old lady, then the power goes to someone random. And Salem, is after the Maidens."

"But why?" Ruby asks. "If she's able to control the Grimm, why would she need the Maidens' powers? Wouldn't the Maiden powers be irrelevant for her?"

"Hmm... Good question kiddo," Qrow chuckles. "Here's where it gets even more interesting."

"Not many people are super religious these days."

"This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real. They were two brothers. The older sibling, the god of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the god of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas on how things should go. Then one night, the younger brother went and made something - something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."

"The creatures of Grimm," Ruby quickly realizes.

"You guessed it. Having had enough, the older brother proposed that they make one final creation... together. Something that they could both be proud of, their... masterpiece. The younger brother agreed. This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow - the path of light or the path of darkness. And that, is how humanity came to be."

Jaune listens to the tale with arms crossed and mentally scoffs.

"Here's the kicker. The four gifts to mankind - knowledge, creation, destruction, and choice - aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world, and that's exactly what _she_ wants. The Huntsman Academies were created to train generations of humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose - guarding the Relics. The schools are build around the Relics to act as fortresses. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding the Relics would keep mankind from using them against itself, and of course, keeping them out of _her_ reach." Qrow concludes.

"What do the Maidens have to do with any of this?" Pyrrha asks, voice slightly raised.

"The Relics aren't just sitting in some dusty old room at the Academy vaults. Ozpin's predecessor had designed them in such a way that only the Relic's respective Maiden can get to them. Spring for the Relic of Knowledge, in Haven. Winter for the Relic of Creation, in Atlas. Summer for the Relic of Destruction, in Vacuo. And finally, Fall for the Relic of Choice, in Beacon." Qrow lists off. "At the moment, the status of the Summer and Spring Maidens are unknown. Winter is safe and guarded in Atlas, and Fall's power was taken by Cinder."

Ruby grows alarmed. "Oh no! Doesn't that mean the Relic at Beacon is in danger?"

"No." Jaune calmly replies to Ruby's panic. "Though her attack on the CCT was successful and global communications are down, the Academy is secure due to the efforts of the Academy's professors and Huntsmen. Make no mistake that Vale has indeed been weakened, but by no means is the Relic at Beacon in danger in the current situation."

Qrow nods and adds on, "The city's been cleaned up for the most part, and with the entire Kingdom on high alert, it would be difficult for Salem to launch another surprise attack."

Jaune looks down in thought and asks, "How long will it take to rebuild the CCT?"

"Months, easily." Qrow sighs. "This is assuming we even have enough building material, which brings us to another problem. That giant Wyvern Grimm was last seen flying into Mountain Glenn, and as far as we can tell, it's been constantly spawning Grimm. As a result, the supply paths on the ground have been cut off, and there's no way anyone would risk flying through that airspace either, due to that Wyvern."

"Why isn't the Kingdom sending Huntsmen and Huntresses to get rid of it?" Ruby asks.

"They can't afford to. Doing so would leave the city and the Academy in a more vulnerable state, and that's not a risk we can take right now," Taiyang calmly explains.

"Hmm..." Jaune waves his hand dismissively. "Leave that one to me, I'll take care of it once I recover."

"By yourself?"

Pyrrha nervously raises her hand. "Um... I didn't say anything while Jaune was comatose, but he's the one who caused that Grimm to flee to Mountain Glenn in the first place..."

"Just what the hell did you do to make it do that?" Qrow exclaims. "That thing's massive. It has to be at least several thousand years old!"

Jaune just shrugs in response. "Rather than talking about that Grimm, we should be focusing on planning and preparing for our retaliation."

"Huh?" Everyone throws Jaune a confused look.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm not one to just sit around waiting passively when provoked." Jaune gives a cunning grin.


	19. Chapter 19

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

"If the Beacon Relic is not in danger, then which one is?" Pyrrha asks.

Jaune jabs at a piece of carrot on his plate with a fork. "Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald."

Bringing the piece of food up to his mouth, he silently chews, waiting for them to figure it out. Ren and Pyrrha look down in thought, while Ruby, Yang, and Nora whisper among themselves.

It did not take long for Qrow and Taiyang to look up in realization. Jaune makes eye contact with them and subtly shakes his head, signaling them to remain silent. They nod and lean back into their respective seats.

Ren's voice cuts through the silence. "They came from Haven. This means that they are familiar with the school grounds, its security, and staff."

"And attacking the other schools is unlikely. Atlas is in the middle of a frozen tundra and Vacuo is..." Pyrrha struggles to find the appropriate words. "well... complicated."

Jaune taps his finger on the table. "Indeed, Haven is likely to be her next target. Anything else you can deduce?"

Looking around the room at the blank stares, Jaune gives a hint.

"What are the requirements to transfer between schools?"

Being an active teacher, Taiyang easily answers, "Three things: Transcripts, signatures from both parties, and-..." He pauses for a moment, seemingly realizing something. "and the headmaster's stamp."

"Tai," Qrow says in a low voice. "It could just be a coincidence."

Though his voice betrays his doubt.

"How difficult is it to fake the headmaster's mark on these documents?" Jaune asks calmly.

"... Extremely." Taiyang admits. "Those stamps are specially made to prevent forgery. And don't even get me started on the Dust ink they use."

"Um... what are you three talking about?" Ruby raises her hand timidly. "Sorry, but I'm having a bit of a hard time following."

With a frown, Ren replies, "I... believe that the headmaster of Haven Academy is currently under suspicion of conspiring with the enemy."

"This is absurd!" Qrow growls. "Not Leo. He's been Oz's ally long before I got involved."

"All I am doing is pointing out the possibility," Jaune replies. "It's not a pleasant thought, but it would be incredibly foolish to disregard it completely."

Qrow stands up from his seat and slams his hands on the table.

"I don't want to believe it! If this suspicion turns out to be true, then things are looking even worse than we could have imagined."

Jaune sighs. "Things aren't as bad as you make it out to be. If one is not ignorant to the circumstances, then there is always an opportunity."

"Oh really?" Qrow sarcastically remarks. "Please enlighten us, oh wise one."

"We can start by not being a smartass," Jaune snorts.

"Much can be inferred about an individual through just their actions. As someone who controls the Grimm, she's always been the one to be the threat. From what I can tell, never has she truly felt like she's been in danger. Over time, it is only natural that she would grow slightly careless in how she handles things. Look at how the attack on Vale was orchestrated. The speech Salem gave through Cinder is calculated, yet dripping with utter arrogance. Having lived for so long, to her, failing here and there is no big deal. She can just try again in the future. Such is the mentality she surely holds, whether she knows it or not."

"Such arrogance can be exploited for our gain." Jaune's eyes gain a predatory sheen.

_'Scary'_

"Okay... how?" Qrow mutters. "What exactly are you proposing? We don't even know if we can trust Leo."

Jaune interlocks his fingers.

"Consider the worst case scenario in that Leo is conspiring with Salem. If you were in Salem's shoes, what would you task him with?"

Taiyang brings a hand up to his chin.

"Well, a headmaster naturally has access to all of his/her students' and staffs' profiles. Which means that if Salem desired such information, she'd have access to everyone passing through Haven Academy."

"There would also be no need to waste time searching for the Vault's location," Yang points out.

"Tai," Qrow says in a low voice. "Leo has a seat on the Mistral Council. It's not just Haven, but every single Huntsman and Huntress registered in the Mistral System."

Everyone's eyes widen at the implications.

"He would have access to every mission and location. If he gives that information to Salem..."

Jaune nods at their conclusion.

"And now you know where to look in order to verify the Haven headmaster's allegiance."

"Is there more?" Qrow tiredly sighs.

Jaune crosses his arms and taps his fingers while pondering.

"Without a doubt, Salem is aware of my existence due to Cinder's survival. The silver lining is that she knows nothing about my capabilities, aside from the fact that her Fall Maiden was severely injured by me. In her eyes, I'm an unknown force that has marred her _perfect_ plan. She can't afford to ignore me. Therefore, she'll end up doing one or more of the following: keep a constant tab on my location, have me killed, or have me captured."

"So what will you do?" Qrow asks in a low voice.

Jaune grins, "I give her what she wants."

"What?"

"Pretend inferiority and encourage her arrogance," Jaune recites.

"I'll allow myself to be seen in Vale and Beacon at regular intervals. Between those intervals, I've decided to travel throughout Remnant, taking care of various matters and gathering whatever information I can find. Another benefit is that I'll be able to check up on Blake and Weiss."

"Uh... Jaune?" Yang skeptically voices. "And how exactly will you be doing that? The airways have been limited due to the recent attack, and it's not exactly inconspicuous. In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of famous now due to the Vytal Tournament."

"Well... infamous in my case," Yang mutters to herself.

"Good point," Jaune feigns surprise, then floats into the air in a seated position. The room falls deathly quiet for a moment, until Nora's scream jolts everyone back to attention.

"He's really an alien!" Nora exclaims.

"Holy crap, he wasn't joking!" Taiyang yells, dropping his utensils.

"Woah..." Ruby's expression is a mix of envy and shock

Ren remains silent, but his eye twitches involuntarily. Pyrrha is the least surprised of all, having seen first hand what Jaune did at the top of the Tower.

"I should've done this from the beginning," Jaune mumbles. "So now do you all believe everything I've told you?"

"Just... how much have you hidden from us?" Yang is incredulous.

"Who's to say I'm not hiding even more?" Jaune chuckles. "Anyways, with my current maximum speed, it should take less then a day to go from here to anywhere on Remnant."

"What about us?" Nora asks.

"While I'm gone, you should all be training and improving yourselves. Go out and aid the Academy and city in any ways you can. Unfortunately, we can not make any drastic plays until Vale and Beacon regain some semblance of security." Jaune settles back down into his seat.

"Therefore, we'll have to do what we can to delay Salem from making her move against Haven for as long as possible. I'm not sure how you all would contribute to that, but my case is pretty clear. I'll have to ensure that she can never disregard me. Despite her knowing my location, I'll have to show hints of unknown information to whatever eyes and ears Salem will set upon Vale. I mustn't be too discreet, else she'll have enough confidence to commence with whatever plans she has. However, I must not be too bold either, else she makes an unexpected move out of desperation."

"As for your training, I have a few things to suggest for all of you."

"But... we already know how to fight?" Ruby tilts her head curiously.

Jaune reaches over and lightly flicks her head, eliciting a small yelp.

"You, in particular, only know how to efficiently kill Grimm. When it comes to non-Grimm combat, you're severely lacking, to be quite frank."

Ruby rubs her head and pouts.

"As for the rest of you, there are some key flaws or improvements to address in your respective fighting styles. You don't have to do what I point out, but I strongly suggest you give it a chance. I won't be leaving Vale anytime soon, as there is business to be taken care of here, so I will have an ample amount of time to lay down the foundations of your training."

* * *

***** Later that night *****

Jaune breathes in the cold night air through his nose while sitting on top of the roof. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a fire Dust crystal. He stares intently at it as he cups the red crystal between his hands, feeling its intrinsic warmth.

_'Inscribing the Vermillion Bird shouldn't be an issue. I'm still rather weak due to the backlash of burning so much blood essence, and the benefits this art will provide me is something that I can not afford to ignore. The Azure Dragon will have to wait.'_

A breath of white air escapes his mouth as he steadily breathes out. Jaune closes his eyes and begins to focus on the refinement of the energy within the Dust crystal.

_'The Vermillion Bird embodies the element of fire. In its purest form, fire is not just a force of destruction, but is the breath of life. It burns creation, and from its ashes a new one is birthed. An everlasting cycle of death and rebirth. The Vermillion Bird's seven mansions are the Well, Ghosts, Willow, Star, Net, Wings, and Chariot. The gust from its fiery wings brings Summer and good fortune.'_

A faint outline of a majestic bird of varying hues of red takes form. Give long plumes of tail feathers gracefully trail behind as it slowly comes to life.

_'The creature soars and roosts in the South.'_

Jaune gently pushes his palm out, allowing his creation to flap its wings in slow motion. It circles above Jaune's head once, before plunging itself into the bottom portion of the Paifang's gateway.

Back on the rooftop, Jaune reopens his eyes and pockets the Dust crystal, which is now a dull grey color. He floats into the air, cross legged, and slowly rotates his Aura through the Vermillion Bird sigil. With the essence, he circulates it through his body, breathing life back into his cells, rapidly repairing them to peak condition. With each pass, the color of his skin deepens back to a healthy peach. The grey locks in his hair visibly brighten back to his signature blond and regains its luster. Less than a minute later, Jaune's appearance has fully recovered to the image everyone is accustomed to.

He settles back onto the rooftop, then sighs while clenching his hand into a fist.

_'All this accomplished was recovering my vitality and bringing me out of my weakened state.'_

He releases his fist and sighs while looking down at his palm.

_'Only 5 years...'_

Without moving, Jaune greets, "Good evening Raven."

No response.

"Are you going to stand there all night and not say a word?"

A feminine sigh sounds out from behind him, and Raven strolls to Jaune's side before sitting down. Neither say a word as they both gaze out into the night sky, admiring the stars.

After several minutes, Raven decides to break the silence.

"You've certainly recovered nicely."

"... I suppose I did."

Another moment of silence takes over, before Raven lets out a stuttered breath.

"I hesitated," she whispers. A pained look flashes across her eyes for a split second.

"So you did," Jaune simply responds. "You overheard everything I told them."

Raven nods, not at all surprised that Jaune was aware of her presence during his talk.

"And what will you do now?" Jaune asks.

Raven lets out a small laugh. "Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with accepting whatever _that_ was that happened in the Emerald Forest wasn't just a figment of my imagination."

She turns to Jaune with a serious look.

"You weren't joking when you claimed that nothing is unkillable."

"Of course not," Jaune smirks. "I never joke."

"Hmph," Raven grunts.

"Were you aware that Ozpin had once asked me about gods?"

Raven raises an eyebrow, indicating Jaune to continue.

"Ever since I'd heard Qrow's story regarding the two Brothers, I can only assume that Ozpin was referring to them when he asked me that question." Jaune laughs to himself. "Though I suppose it's understandable that mortals would label something as a god because they can not fully comprehend its existence."

"You've probably already guessed it by now, but Ozpin and I are not the greatest of terms," Raven bluntly states. "My opinion on him has not changed. He is a liar and schemer that uses those around him to do his dirty work."

Jaune remains silent.

"Despite everything I've learned so far, my priority remains the same. Ensuring our survival." Raven lets out a sigh. "Allying myself with you seems to align with that priority quite well."

"Seriously?" Jaune raises an eyebrow. "Why can't you be honest and just say that you want to be friends?"

Raven's eye involuntarily twitches.

"Fine," Jaune raises his hands. "Have it your way. Though this is convenient, as having the Spring Maiden's aid is a boon."

Her eyes widen for a brief moment, before she recovers and scoffs.

"When did you realize?"

"When you arrived," Jaune smiles. "I've been in the presence of both Amber and Cinder, so I'd say I'm rather familiar with the presence Maidens emit. Fall felt mildly cold, while yours feels mildly warm. It's not so difficult to connect the dots and deduce you carry Spring."

"All the more reason to ally myself with you. Having you as an enemy would be incredibly annoying," Raven clicks her tongue. "I'd like to make it clear that I am allying myself with you. **Not** Ozpin."

She stands up and walks several feet away.

"And by no means does it make us friends, no matter what you may believe. It just so happens that your goals align with mine."

"Sure, whatever you say," Jaune replies with a small smile. "Are you sure you won't take a look at Yang before you leave?"

Raven pauses mid-step.

"She's recovering from her injury," she softly says. Without saying another word, she jumps into the air and flies away.

Jaune shakes his head as he watches her fly away.

"A bad actor as usual..." he mutters.

His eyes glance down at a window directly below him that is slightly ajar.

* * *

***** Ruby in Yang's room *****

"So... today was an interesting day," Ruby lightly laughs to herself.

"Tell me about it," Yang sighs as she makes her way towards her bed. She slightly winces as she had instinctively tried to grab her bed post with her missing arm.

Ruby rushes to her side with a worried look.

"I'm fine," Yang whispers. "It's just taking a bit of time getting used to it..."

"But-"

"Ruby," Yang gives her little sister a stern look. "I said I'm fine."

Ruby lets out a sad sigh and slightly nods.

"Look," Yang's tone turns gentler. "I don't want people treating me like I'm completely helpless. Aren't I still your butt kicking older sister?"

"Yup," Ruby sniffs her nose. "You are."

"Then treat me like you always do," Yang reaches over and ruffles Ruby's hair. "Like I said, it's just going to take some time getting used to."

Ruby pries Yang's hand off her head, then throws herself into her sister's embrace, while being careful not to touch her wound. Yang gently smiles and pats Ruby's back.

"And what about you?"

"What about me?" Ruby mumbles into Yang's clothes.

Yang gently pries Ruby away from her torso and looks her directly in the eyes.

"Don't give me that. You've always had a bad habit of bottling up your emotions."

Ruby averts her eyes.

"I'm... it's just that I keep thinking about what happened to-" Ruby pauses and catches her breath. "to Penny..."

"She just wanted to be a normal girl, you know? But instead... she was used as a tool." Ruby's voice turns slightly dark. "As a sacrifice for their _plans._"

Yang tries to cheer Ruby up.

"They might be able to rebuild her right? Since her body was robotic."

"Maybe..." Ruby mumbles, unconvinced. She sniffles for several moments before looking back up at her sister.

"Yang? Can I sleep here tonight? Please?"

Yang tenderly smiles and lifts her blanket for Ruby to crawl under.

"Of course."

Ruby lays on her side and curls. Her eyes slowly close, heavy and tired from the recent events.

"Good night... I love you," Ruby softly mumbles with her eyes closed, half asleep.

"I love you too," Yang whispers. The sound of Ruby's soft breathing, indicates that she was now fast asleep. After tucking the bed covers over Ruby to keep her warm, Yang's expression gradually grows solemn. She brings her knees up to her chest and silently glares at the stump which used to be her right arm with a complicated expression.

Deciding to cool her head, Yang reaches over and carefully pries open her window, so as to avoid waking Ruby. She lays her head across the window sill and sighs as the cold night air washes over her face. As her eyes are closing, her ears perk up, catching the sound of voices from outside. Were they coming from above? The rooftop?

_'Is that Jaune's voice? Who's he talking to?'_

* * *

***** An hour prior *****

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Ruby, and Yang are facing each other while seated on the floor of Ruby's room.

"So... there was that," Yang says. "Do you all believe _everything_ he said though? Like, the universe and stuff was all kind of out there."

"Well, that flying thing he did was pretty cool," Ruby nervously laughs. "But yeah... it's kind of a lot to take in at once."

"That is true," Pyrrha admits. "But on that night, he just appeared on top of the tower from nowhere. Along with all the feats he's accomplished, I don't know what other explanation would suffice."

"There is also that movement thing he showed us and CFVY." Nora points out.

"What movement thing?" Yang asks curiously.

Ren sighs, "I suppose we may as well tell you, seeing that Nora has let the figurative cat out of the bag."

"Oops," Nora apologetically replies.

"On the day of the breach, we went to the training rooms along with CFVY. During that time, Jaune demonstrated a movement technique for us. He called it _Reflection of the Divine Moon_. To our eyes, he literally disappeared from view and all sounds of his movements were gone."

"You sure he wasn't just moving really fast?" Yang sounds a little skeptical.

Ren shakes his head. "He explicitly stated that speed had nothing to do with it."

He turns to Pyrrha and Nora.

"Both of you remember his words? He was talking about _truth _when describing that technique. Don't you think that sounds eerily similar to how he described the Dao?"

"You're... right," Pyrrha's eyes wander in thought.

"Wait a minute..." Nora pokes at her chin with a finger. "Didn't he say his 8 year old little sister discovered the concept behind this move?"

Her hand drops to her lap as realization dawns upon her. With wide eyes she asks Ren and Pyrrha.

"Do you think that he was talking about... a sister from his past life?"

"Ying Yue," Pyrrha whispers.

"What's a Ying Yue?" Ruby asks, while struggling to properly pronounce it.

Pyrrha keeps her gaze looking downwards towards her lap.

"Do you all remember that day in the dining hall, when Jaune confronted Cardin for bullying Velvet?"

Their heads nods.

"I distinctly remember that as soon as Jaune had turned around and saw Velvet, he muttered _Ying Yue_ to himself before rushing in to intervene. Perhaps I'm wrong, but... I think Jaune briefly associated Velvet with whoever Ying Yue is, causing him to react in such a fashion."

"And you're saying that Ying Yue is-"

Pyrrha sadly nods. "There is also the fact that whenever Jaune looks or talks to Velvet, I never got the sense that it is romantic. I think that given what we know, it is safe to assume that Ying Yue is the name of Jaune's sister."

Ren brings a hand up to his chin and mutters, "Ying Yue. It's from a language largely unknown to most on Remnant. It is also where I got my name."

He thinks for a moment, trying to recall old memories.

"I... believe that Ying Yue can be roughly translated to... _reflection of the moon_"

"Oh my gosh..." Nora quietly gasps.

"That means he-" Yang's eyes widen.

"He named the technique in remembrance of his sister," Pyrrha looks shaken by this discovery. "And he wanted to teach it to Velvet because she..."

Ruby asks, "Didn't Jaune say that he's lived for at least t-thousands of years in his past life? Doesn't that mean he's been carrying this for all that time?"

Silence falls upon the room. The feeling of loss is not foreign to any of them, not even Pyrrha. But to live with it continuously for that long? Yang clenches her hand into a tight fist. If she lost Ruby, would she be able to handle it without going insane?

"We should trust Jaune," Ruby looks up resolutely. "The stuff he's told us is a little... crazy, but I believe his intentions for us are nothing but good."

"I... agree." Yang says softly. "But how should we treat him? Technically, he's.. super old compared to us?" She looks directly at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha tightly grips her hands. "I-..." She starts, but looks away and swallows her response.

_'I still-'_

* * *

***** The following morning *****

"Jaune?" Ruby calls out. She opens her home's door and steps outside. "Jaune, where are you-"

She abruptly halts when she turns the corner, finding Jaune meditating with legs crossed, several feet in the air. "U-uh..."

He rotates midair to face Ruby, and opens an eye.

"Good morning Ruby."

"Uh... g-good morning..." Ruby mumbles while dazed.

Amused by her reaction, he levitates towards her. "What's the matter?"

"W-well your hair. Your skin. They look normal again. It's only been one night. What happened?" Ruby rapidly asks.

"Didn't I say that it was only temporary? Turns out it wasn't as severe as I'd initially thought," Jaune smiles.

"I see. Thank goodness." Ruby lets out a breath of relief. "So... what were you doing out here?"

"Meditating and clearing my mind." Jaune responds.

"Uh huh... Well, anyway, it's time for breakfast, and we were wondering if you'd like to join us."

Landing on his feet, Jaune walks beside Ruby back into the house.

"Of course. I'd love to."

Jaune repeats the explanation of his recovered appearance to the rest of the group during breakfast, much to the relief of everyone present.

"I have some business I must attend in Vale." Jaune announces. "I should be back before the sun sets."

"Well, Ren and I were going back to Vale as well. The city needs as much help as it can get." Nora points out.

"I'll be joining you," Pyrrha adds. "I admit that I was rather... unresponsive for the past week."

"I'll be here taking care of Yang," Ruby grins. "Someone has to be the adult around here."

Yang playfully scoffs, "Says the one who begged to stay in my room last night."

"Yang!" Ruby's face grows red from embarrassment.

Jaune chuckles and nods his head.

"I'll meet you all back here later this evening."

* * *

As he soars high above the city, Jaune observes the damage it had sustained from the recent attack.

_'Hmm... the Huntsmen and Huntresses who were present in the city did a pretty good job of keeping the damage to a minimum. But it will still take some time for things to return to normal.'_

Jaune notices a section of the Academy grounds that had been cordoned off from public view.

_'That's where... They're still cleaning that up?'_

He lands on a rooftop with a soft tap and walks down the rooftop stairway exit. Jaune casually walks through the empty hallways, heading straight towards his destination.

Glynda stares intently at the Scroll held in her hand, a small frown marring her face.

"Well, you certainly look busy."

She yelps in surprise and lets go of her Scroll. Before she could react with her Semblance, a hand reaches out from behind Glynda and swiftly catches her device. She turns around to face the unexpected visitor.

"Jaune," she gasps. "I'd heard that you were still unconscious."

"Just woke up yesterday," Jaune responds. He hands the Scroll back to Glynda.

As she pockets it, she asks with concern, "And how are you feeling?"

"About as good as new." Jaune leans in, taking a closer look at Glynda's eyes. "Can't exactly say the same for you. You look like you haven't slept in days."

She rubs her eyes and stifles a yawn.

"Every able bodied professor, Huntsmen, and Huntress have been working around the clock. Because Professor Ozpin is missing, his responsibilities fall upon me, until he returns."

"Perhaps I can help."

Jaune places a hand on Glynda's shoulder and sends a sliver of Vermillion Bird qi through her. Glynda fails to hold down a gasp as an indescribable warmth spreads out through her body, feeling the fatigue and sleep deprivation washing away.

As Jaune pulls his hand away, Glynda reaches up and rubs her shoulder, then brings her hand in front of her to clench several times. All of her stiffness is gone, like she'd never been tired in the first place.

"What was that?" She asks Jaune with wide eyes.

"Just a bit of energy to revitalize you. It wouldn't do any of us good if you collapsed from overworking."

Glynda sighs, then gives Jaune a small appreciative smile.

"I suppose pushing you for details is pointless, and the gesture is very much appreciated. So, why are you here?"

"Hmm... I believe that there is a certain flamboyant fellow wearing a bowler hat in the medical facilities. He's awake, is he not?"

Glynda makes an annoyed face at the mention of Torchwick.

"Unfortunately, he is. Follow me."

* * *

***** Beacon Medical Facilities *****

Roman is sitting upright on his bed, while Neo sits on the edge, playing with her Scroll. They both turn their heads to the door as it opens with a mechanical hiss.

"Well, if it isn't Glynda," Roman greets obnoxiously. "I thought you couldn't stand seeing my face."

Glynda's eyes narrow dangerously.

"Jaune, please come in."

Neo nearly jumps up upon seeing Jaune strolling into the room. He makes brief eye contact with her before he grabs a chair and sets it down beside Roman's bed.

Jaune slowly looks over the flamboyant criminal.

"Roman Torchwick. Do you know who I am?"

"Kid, everyone knows who you are after your brief performance in the Vytal Tournament."

Jaune tilts his head then sighs, "You know, I went through a lot of effort to save your skin. That is a very strange way of saying thank you."

Roman responds with a cautioned tone.

"One thing I've learned quickly in my trade is that only the stupid do things for free. I have a hard time believing that you're stupid, so... why?"

Jaune chuckles and leans forward. "Well, I will admit that it was partly on a whim, but you're right, there is an opportunity I saw in my decision to save you."

"Which is?" Roman raises an eyebrow.

"The opportunity to greatly benefit the Kingdom of Vale and contributing to its safety."

Roman laughs, "Of all the things I prepared myself to hear, _that_ was definitely not one of them. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly one to abide by the law."

"Well, that's precisely the reason why only you can do what I'm about to propose," Jaune smirks. "I guarantee that you'll be interested in what I have to say."

"Oh really?" Roman sarcastically remarks.

"Jaune, what are you doing?" Glynda whispers.

"Trust me on this," Jaune glances at her, before turning back to Roman and Neo.

"Before I explain anything, were you working for Cinder Fall willingly?"

Roman stiffens, while Neo visibly bristles at the mention of that woman's name.

Jaune nods.

"I thought so."

"Here's my proposal. The Dust that you've stolen while under the _employment_ of Cinder. I want half."

"What?" Glynda exclaims.

"And why would I do that?" Roman asks suspiciously.

Jaune ignores their comments and continues, "As for the other half, 80% of that will funnel back into Vale and Beacon for whatever uses they're required for. You get to keep the remaining 20%."

"Jaune!" Glynda hisses.

_'This is strange. What is his angle?_'

"And why am I getting anything at all?"

Jaune chuckles, "You think I'd bother saving someone's life so that I could send them to prison?"

He points a finger at Roman's face.

"You are capable of taking action where the Vale Police Force and Huntsmen can not, due to the limitations of the law. I will let you go about doing your business, and all we need in return is for you to keep in contact with us. You're incredibly familiar with the criminal world, likely more so than anyone in Vale at the moment. I need you to keep an eye on people attempting to sneak into Vale through the more... obscure channels. So long as you are not acting in a manner which would deter the recovery of this Kingdom, you can go about and do as you please."

Roman leans back. Indeed, it is an interesting proposal.

"And of course, to run any kind of operation, you'll need money, which is why I'm letting you keep a portion of the Dust. An added bonus is that those trying to sneak in will likely be related to Cinder. Surely you must be interested in getting your hands on such individuals."

Jaune gives Neo and Roman a knowing look.

"What about if Cinder learns about our involvement with you?"

Roman narrows his eyes.

"As far as the public is concerned, you're dead," Jaune scoffs. "Cinder will not be a concern for you to worry about."

On the side, Glynda grits her teeth, wanting to voice her protest, but remains silent.

Roman pretends to think.

"Hmm... I want 30% instead."

"Don't push your luck."

"Alright, fine," Roman brings his hands up. "Can't blame a man for trying."

He holds his hand out.

"You have a deal."

Jaune glances to his side.

"Glynda, do you find this acceptable?"

Glynda glares back with a complicated expression.

"You're proposing for us to work with a criminal. The very same criminal who was largely responsible for the Grimm breach in the city several weeks ago. The same criminal who shot down multiple Atlesian ships, killing dozens of Atlas soldiers!"

Remaining silent, Jaune continues to lock his gaze with Glynda.

She finally sighs and pinches her temples.

"I know... We're in a dire situation and can not be picky."

Glynda turns on her heels and makes her way towards the exit with brisk steps.

She stops by the door and says, "I hope that this will not turn out to be a mistake... Gods know that we can not afford any missteps right now. And Jaune? Please come to my office once you are finished here."

Roman, his hand still outstretched, asks, "So... we have a deal? My arms getting tired and this is a little awkward."

Jaune grasps Roman's hand and shakes it.

"We have a deal."

He exchanges Scroll numbers with Roman, then glances at Neo, who has been sitting on the bed silently the entire time.

"Shorty, where's my scabbard?"

Neo flips out her Scroll and furiously types for a few seconds, then turns the Scroll around to push it towards Jaune's face.

_"My name is not Shorty. Neopolitan, or Neo for short. Your toy is with the woman who just left."_

"Neopolitan?" Jaune leans forward and looks her over carefully.

"Strange name, and hardly fitting."

He straightens himself and heads toward the exit.

"I'll keep in touch. Try not to die in the meantime, Roman. See you around, Shorty."

Neo's face twitches as Jaune leaves the room.

Roman gives Neo a wary look.

"Did he just..."

Neo's annoyed expression quickly transforms to an anxious one, before she gives a nod.

"He's like a different person from when I first met him," Roman groans as he stretches. "Completely different from the desperate boy who I'd forged those transcripts for.

"..."

"Yeah I know Neo. Working with him's our best option right now. At the very least, he's not a complete control freak like Cinder."

Neo brings a hand up to her throat and does a slitting motion.

"Hmm... you and I both agree on that." Roman sighs, "At the very least, we won't be stuck running away or rotting in some prison. His terms are pretty generous, all things considered."

* * *

***** In the city *****

Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha are walking together towards the South-Eastern section of the city. Ever since the Wyvern had retreated into Mountain Glenn, the Grimm activity in that area had increased significantly. The civilians wandering the streets bustle with hushed whispers and mutters as they notice the group of Beacon students.

"Isn't that Pyrrha Nikos?"

"And those other two are her teammates right? Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie."

"Wasn't Pyrrha Nikos missing for the past week or so? I heard reports that she returned to Mistral."

"She exposed Atlas's secret plans of a synthetic army right? With that robot?"

Pyrrha shifts uncomfortably, and Nora puts a hand on her shoulder in a show of support. The three do their best to ignore the various comments directed towards them as they continue walking through the streets.

Ren involuntarily shudders from a sudden onset of vague negative emotions emitting through the air. His eyes quickly scan their surroundings and pinpoints the sources of these emotions from the civilians looking down at their Scrolls. From their facial expressions, it is clear that they were either shocked, disgusted, or horrified.

"Ren, what's wrong?" Nora asks, noticing his discomfort.

Feeling slightly sick and pale from sensing all the negativity, he subtly points at the civilians in question. Following his finger, Nora and Pyrrha immediately notice the expressions on their faces.

"Something isn't right," Pyrrha whispers. "What is it that they're seeing on their Scrolls that is eliciting such an extreme reaction?"

As Nora begins to reach into her pocket for her Scroll to investigate, she notices something down the street they are walking down.

"Isn't that Coco and Velvet?" She points. "Maybe they have an idea of what's happening. Coco's a well known social type after all. She _has_ to know something, right?"

Nora waves her arm in a large arc above her head.

"Coco! Velvet!"

The two in question turn around upon hearing their names being called. A brief look of discomfort goes across their faces upon seeing NPR. Though their look did not escape the eyes of NPR, they walk up and cordially greet Coco and Velvet.

"Good morning to you two," Pyrrha politely greets.

"Good morning. Nora, Ren, Pyrrha." Coco nods at them.

Velvet replies with a softer voice, "Good morning."

"Is... there anything we can help you with?" Coco slowly asks.

"Actually there is," Pyrrha looks directly at Coco. "Do you happen to know what is going on with some people on the streets reacting rather negatively to something on their Scrolls?"

Coco and Velvet exchange a look, then Coco responds with some hesitation, "We... know exactly what they're reacting to."

She looks around, then leans in to whisper.

"It's not a good idea to talk about it here. We should find some place a little more private. I know just the place."

Coco leads them towards the central part of the city and guides them to a small cafe. When they open the door, a Faunus waitress with wolf ears immediately notices the one leading the group.

"Miss Adel, would you like your usual spot?" She respectfully greets.

"Yes," Coco nods. "I'll also need accommodations made for my friends here. Also, please ensure that no one will be bothering us."

The waitress steps back and bows, "Of course Miss."

She leads them up the stairs and to a small private room with a pleasant view of Vale's streets. The group puts in their respective orders for the drinks after they take their seats. After the waitress respectfully bows to the group and exits the room, NPR send a curious look towards Coco.

She leans back and explains, "My family is well known in the fashion industry, but we own other businesses too. This small cafe just so happens to be one of them. Not to brag, but it's also one of the few businesses that openly employs Faunus. The benefits are pretty generous as well."

With a soft knock on the door, the waitress comes in with their drinks and sets them down.

"Please enjoy," she smiles, then promptly exits to leave them to their privacy.

Pyrrha takes a sip of her tea while enjoying the flowery aromas coming from the steam, then sets her cup down with a sigh.

"So, can you tell us now? What is this about?"

Coco responds with a low voice, "Well... there's a picture that's been floating around the Vale network from a few days ago. It's been slowly gaining traction since then, and it's only a matter of time before it gets covered by the news. I'd bet almost anything that those civilians you're wondering about were looking at that picture on their Scrolls."

"And... what is this picture?" Pyrrha begins to grow concerned.

Velvet averts her eyes while Coco flips out her Scroll. She places the Scroll on the table and slides it across.

"See for yourself."

Being impatient, Nora reaches out and grabs the Scroll from the table, bringing it up to her face. She quickly regrets doing so as her face goes pale and she hastily drops the Scroll back onto the table.

"Oh gods!"

Ren and Pyrrha lean over to look down at the Scroll. Their eyes widen and gasps escape from their mouths as they look over the image depicted on the screen.

An enormous pile of White Fang corpses. Without exception, every single body in the frame is either dismembered, bisected, decapitated, or all of the above. The light reflected from the shattered moon in the sky illuminates the blood, bones, and organs strewn about. A distant artificial light in a large tower in the background indicates that this scene had occurred on Beacon Academy grounds. In the very center of the slaughter is a lone figure. Though his face is unfocused, the sword, hair, and posture is enough for Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha to know exactly who the individual is in the picture.

"T-this has to be fake," Nora voices in disbelief.

Ren gulps in trepidation.

"Nora... I don't think this is fake... Do you remember the section of the Academy grounds that has been cordoned off? Don't you think that angle lines up with Beacon Tower in this picture?"

Nora does not even bother trying to refute Ren, as she already knows the answer. Pyrrha continues to stare at the image with a hand covering her mouth, shocked by the sheer brutality. Based on his encounter with Cinder, she knew full well that Jaune would not hesitate to kill, but she is still shocked.

"We were there, you know..." Coco says with a low voice.

Pyrrha leans forward and asks with a soft, yet firm voice, "Then please tell us what happened."

* * *

***** Glynda's Office** ***

Jaune invites himself into Glynda's office after knocking on the door frame. The office layout is rather minimal, yet elegant. Her desk faces the room's entry and is a black mahogany desk in the shape of a semicircle. On top are stacks of paperwork, undoubtedly related to the recent events. Behind the desk is a clear view of the Academy grounds. The two office walls on the sides are lined with bookshelves ranging from academic reference textbooks to novels of various types of genres.

Glynda glances up from her paperwork as Jaune pulls a chair out and sits across from her. She sighs and pushes the paperwork away, albeit a little aggressively.

"Would you like something to drink? Is coffee alright right you?"

Jaune nods with a small smile, "Coffee would be great."

Glynda brings out her riding crop and flicks it towards a small table in the corner. An exact amount of beans stream out from an airtight container, then gets ground up to precise size pieces in midair. Simultaneously, a paper filter is placed over a glass decanter, and the ground up beans settle into the filter. With practiced precision, the kettle pours hot water over the grounds in a circular motion, and the extraction drips through the filter and into the decanter. Jaune watches the entire process with interest and amusement.

Several minutes later, the filled decanter and two small cups float over to Glynda's desk. She grabs the cups and fills them with the brew she'd made.

Jaune takes a small sip of the coffee, admiring how smooth and flavorful it is. He raises an eyebrow at Glynda and smirks.

"Interesting usage of your Semblance."

"Thank you," she replies before taking a drink from her own cup.

"Just how many times did you have to practice that in order to get it right?"

Glynda simply gives Jaune an amused glare.

"Then again, I suppose maximizing the precision of your Semblance was absolutely necessary, considering Ozpin had you fixing everything."

She sighs, "Without a doubt, the worst part of my job."

Jaune leans back with his cup in hand.

"So, how's the overall situation with the other Kingdoms?"

"With the CCT down, we're not able to make contact with Vacuo or Mistral outside of sending physical mail."

"And what about Atlas? They're partly responsible for this mess. Ironwood didn't just leave, did he?"

Glynda sets her cup down on her desk with some force.

"After the Grimm and White Fang were removed, James was ordered to return back to Atlas immediately by the Council, else he risk lose his seatsl, as well as his position as headmaster."

She pinches her brow and groans in frustration.

"It will take time for James to convince the Council to divert resources from the military to aid Vale. He says that they fear risking another similar incident with the AK-200s, so unless he can placate their fears, he'll be stuck there."

Jaune hums in thought, "About those AK-200s. I thought the General's technicians pinpointed and isolated the virus Cinder had uploaded into the CCT."

"Another reason why the Council is having a hard time entrusting James with returning to Vale. Apparently, that virus James' technicians found was a decoy."

"Smart," Jaune mutters. "Will the virus be a problem when the CCT is rebuilt?"

Glynda shakes her head. "No, that virus was rooted into the Beacon Tower CCT network. When CCT was destroyed, the virus went along with it. A brand new network infrastructure will be laid in place when the Tower is reconstructed."

"So this is why you agreed so easily to my proposal to Roman Torchwick? In all honesty, I was expecting much bigger protest from you."

"Unfortunately, yes." Glynda sighs out. She reaches under her desk and brings out Jaune's scabbard and places it on her desk.

As Jaune reaches out to grab it, Glynda says in a low voice, "Jaune, there is something else that we must talk about."

Jaune retracts his hand and looks at Glynda curiously.

"This is about the cordoned section on the Academy grounds?" He asks, yet is not really asking.

"So that _was_ your doing," Glynda brings the cup to her mouth and takes a long sip.

With a tired voice, she asks, "Was that so necessary?"

His eyebrow raises. "You're seriously not going to disparage me?"

"Do not mistake me," Glynda adjusts her glasses. "I am well aware that my profession as a Huntress does not limit me to only eliminating Grimm. However, that level of bloodshed and brutality is _not_ normal. I know that you are not some mindless murderous psychopath, so I'm sincerely asking you, why?"

Jaune sighs, "Team CFVY was in a life or death situation. Had I not intervened, it would have resulted in the latter."

Glynda, looking unconvinced, asks "Was subduing them not an option? You're powerful enough that doing so would've been simple"

"You're right, I could have," Jaune closes his eyes. "But the circumstances will not permit such an action from me. Beacon and Vale are in a delicate state. We can not afford to take on another attack on a massive scale. You already know this, Glynda. It's exactly why you're putting up with Roman Torchwick working with us. That is why I decided to send a message. So that those who even think about bringing harm to Vale will have to consider twice."

"But they were so young..." Glynda whispers.

"They were," Jaune nods. "But I can not regret my actions. I'd do it all again if that is what it took. I did _not_ enjoy what I had to do, but I made the choice. Those 83 Faunus I cut down were a necessary sacrifice."

Glynda looks up in surprise.

"You... already saw the report?"

Jaune shakes his head.

"Of course not. I just remember better now that I'm Xiantian, that's all." Jaune leans back and begins to recite. "58 males. 25 females. All between the ages of 17 and 25. If you'd like, I can name their Faunus traits."

"No... that won't be necessary," Glynda softly replies. "Jaune? Are you sure that was the right thing to do? To bear this kind of burden by yourself?"

Jaune reaches out and grabs his scabbard. He stands up and fastens it to his hip. Without responding, he gives a lazy wave and leaves the office.

After Jaune leaves, Glynda brings out her Scroll and opens the image of Jaune standing against the moonlight, surrounded by the sea of White Fang corpses. Though the image is haunting with the gore and blood, Glynda can not help but feel that Jaune looks incredibly lonely in the picture.

"You and Ozpin are very similar in this aspect," She softly mutters to herself.

After several minutes of staring at the picture, Glynda sets her Scroll to the side and begins to work on the stacks of paperwork in an attempt to distract herself.


	20. Chapter 20

**Due to real life obligations and work, this latest chapter was delayed. In the meantime, the previous chapters were reworked to improve upon their quality(2/25/2020). Finally, by no means do I have any plans to abandon this project. I intend to see through this story till the end, so thank you for being patient.**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

"Adam, what have you done?" Sienna tightly grips the armrests of her throne. At the bottom of the steps is Adam Taurus, on a knee with his head down.

"I did what I had to do." He neutrally responds. "I accept any and all punishment you'll bestow upon me."

"You led an attack a Huntsman Academy!" Sienna yells. "This is a line that I thought you of all people would have never crossed! The loss of the CCT has brought global communications down to a crawl, and the White Fang is largely responsible for it due to your actions!"

"I know," He responds in a low, dull voice.

"Then explain yourself!" Sienna growls. Adam remains kneeling, head down, and silent.

Her feline eyes narrow slightly, before letting out a frustrated sigh. Sienna waves her hand dismissively at the guards.

"Leave us!"

Saluting once, the guards exit the throne room, leaving Adam and Sienna alone. Pushing herself up from her seat, she strolls down the steps and stops in front of Adam's kneeling form.

"You can speak without reserve."

"I'd rather we move to a more secure location," Adam quietly responds.

Sienna brow scrunches in thought, before turning on her heels.

"Very well then. We talk in my quarters."

* * *

***** Sienna Khan's Room *****

Sienna sits down the edge of her queen sized bed and crosses a leg.

"So, what is this about?" Her tone shifts to one of familiarity, though her anger is still very aparrant.

Adam balls his hands into fists.

"We were compromised in Vale. I could not risk unwanted ears overhearing anything."

"Compromised?" Sienna is surprised.

"A human woman going by the name of Cinder Fall had approached us. She proposed to the White Fang in Vale to work together with her," Adam growls.

"Obviously, I refused."

Sienna nods.

"Several weeks later, she'd come back and attacked our camp without warning," Adam grits his teeth.

"Dust rounds deflected from her with ease, and dozens of my men were burnt to ash within seconds. She'd clearly stated that she'd personally hunt down and kill every White Fang and Faunus in Vale should we not agree with her terms."

"These terms included the attack on Beacon?"

"No... she wanted us to rob Dust shipments."

"And why didn't you contact me about this development?" Sienna demands.

"I thought that if all she wanted from us was to rob Dust from the humans, particularly from the Schnee Dust Company, it did not warrant a report all the way back to Headquarters. If the lives of my men and the Faunus could be spared by doing what we'd originally set out to do, then the choice to make was obvious."

Adam heavily breathes out before continuing.

"All I'd expected her to demand from us was to kill and rob from the humans. Due to my misjudgment, I'd failed to foresee her demanding us to do something as insane as attacking Beacon Academy. By that point, I'd deemed the situation out of control and planned to contact you, but that _woman_ had anticipated such a reaction."

He grits his teeth in anger before continuing his report.

"She'd broken into the Vale CCT and uploaded a virus into the Kingdom's network. She was _kind_ enough to inform me that any and all communications leaving or entering Vale would not escape her eyes, and that if we did contact anyone, the location of whoever is contacted would be revealed. I could not risk calling her bluff, which we now know was _not_ an empty threat she'd made based on how she hijacked the Tournament broadcast."

Sienna remains silent as she digests the information Adam just delivered. Her hand slowly begin to clench around the bed sheets. As Adam had admitted, much of the blame could be placed on the error of his judgement. However, she recognizes that such behavior demonstrated by this Cinder woman would have been incredibly difficult to predict. She briefly closes her eyes, imagining herself in Adam's position. What would she have done? The answer is not clear...

Sienna reopens her eyes and sighs, her initial anger towards Adam mostly dwindled, but she remains deeply frustrated at the current situation.

"For now..." She stands up. "Our main priority is to salvage this situation. The public opinion on the White Fang is at an all time low, and many, rightfully so, blame our organization for the attack on Beacon."

Her face slowly grows pale, having made up her mind on the next course of action.

"I've gone over your report, and we sustained a significant loss during the attack on Beacon?"

Adam nods in response.

"One of the survivors in that encounter managed to take a picture. According to everyone that was there and survived, it was only a single human responsible for the 83 KIA. Though his facial features are not clear in the picture, many of them assert that the human goes by the name, Jaune Arc."

Sienna clenches her hands into tight fists.

"Release that picture to the public. Ensure the source remains anonymous."

Adam's eyes widen in shock behind his mask.

"Sienna, you're-"

She responds with a resolute look, but a trembling voice.

"As High Leader of the White Fang, the responsibility of making any and all decisions for the betterment of our cause falls upon my shoulders. Even... even if it means that I must bear the burden of using our brothers' deaths as propaganda to lessen the ire sent our way."

She finishes with self disgust.

Adam suppresses a shudder. The reason why he chose to follow Sienna's lead in the first place was due to the resolve in her words. And now, she is following through with her actions. He looks back at his leader with newfound respect, and feels great shame that he is the one responsible for her having to make such a decision.

"As for your punishment, you are to be demoted down to the Lieutenant level. You are also to remain here, on Anima for the foreseeable future."

He closes his eyes and slowly nods.

"And while you are here, you will be working together with me to gather any and all information regarding Cinder Fall, and any of her associates."

Sienna's pupils turn to slits and her hair begins to stand on their ends, giving her a vicious feral appearance.

"We have a debt to repay," she snarls.

Adam drops down onto a knee without hesitation.

"As you command, High Leader Khan."

"If that's all, you may leave."

He picks himself up and makes his way to the door. As his hand grasps the door handle, he pauses at Sienna's voice.

"And what about Blake? You met her in Beacon, didn't you?" Sienna softly asks.

Adam tightly grips the handle.

"I did. But it doesn't matter now. We have bigger problems to deal with."

He twists the handle and promptly leaves, leaving Sienna alone in her room. She sits back down on her bed and falls to her side, her head facing the door which Adam had left through.

* * *

***** With JNPR and CFVY *****

"We were quickly getting overwhelmed," says Coco, recalling that night. "Our team can kick serious ass, but when there are that many, even the best of us will eventually get worn down."

She glances at Velvet.

"Velvet got injured due to running out of Aura, and right as the rest of the White Fang were about to converge on us was when Jaune came."

"And then what happened?" Pyrrha asks quietly.

Velvet whispers "He gave the White Fang a simple warning."

Coco looks down at her cup of coffee and slowly recites, "Those who choose to retreat will live, and those who do not will die. That was all he said."

She looks up at NPR with a complicated expression.

"Look, we know fully well that the profession of Huntresses and Huntsmen aren't just about saving the innocent from Grimm and playing hero. That eventually, we'll be faced with difficult situations regarding non-Grimm combatants. To make my point extra clear, we've _seen_ people die in our missions, but... to kill someone so decisively without a shred of hesitation. It's not something anyone can prepare to witness, and the bloodlust he was emitting was something I've _never_ felt before."

"He was collected... calm... cold... sharp," Velvet whispers.

"What happened next?"

"A White Fang member charged," Coco pauses to take a drink from her cup. "And then... he was dead. Cut down from a distance. Immediately afterwards, a large portion of their forces charged at the same time, to avenge their comrade's death."

She points to her Scroll on the table.

"And _that_ was the result. It only took him a few seconds..."

Nora's mouth drops.

"Only a few seconds? There's got to be at least 50 in that picture! And what about their Aura?"

"They definitely had Aura," Velvet clarifies. "But none of that seemed to matter. Also, he... used _that_ technique."

"_Reflection of the Divine Moon_," Pyrrha mutters softly.

Velvet nods in affirmation.

"I... don't think I can train it. At least, not right now, having seen firsthand the true purpose of such a technique. I need time."

_'If our speculation on Ying Yue is correct, this isn't just a technique, but a precious memory for Jaune that he's entrusted to you!'_

Pyrrha feels the urge to protest, but forces herself to remain silent on the matter. She looks over to the side and sees Ren subtly shaking his head.

"This is her choice to make. I'm sure Jaune would understand." He whispers low enough for only Pyrrha and Nora to hear.

Ren clears his throat to gain their attention.

"I believe that we should all ask ourselves an important question. What would we have done if we were in Jaune's position? From what you've told us, you were about to be overwhelmed. Taking a life is not an insignificant act, and I do not want to believe that Jaune would do such a thing haphazardly. Though I will admit this case is particularly... brutal."

He sips some tea from his cup and sighs, "As you've said, it is very likely that we will be faced with similar circumstances in our future as Huntsmen and Huntresses. Having to make tough choices comes with the job, so that others won't have to."

_'It's the difference between training and actual experience...' _Ren thinks to himself.

As a moment of silence fills the small room, they each begin to think to themselves. What _would_ they have done in Jaune's position? What exactly is their level of conviction and resolve?

* * *

***** Vale *****

Jaune flips his Scroll open and verifies the address Roman had sent him. He pockets his Scroll and walks up to the massive warehouse's metal door. He presses in the key code Roman had provided and walks in. With the flip of a switch the lights inside turn on, revealing thousands of storage units stacked on top of one another. Jaune looks around for a several moments before walking over to one of the units and opens it with a casual kick.

He eyes the stacks of organized crates carrying high quality Dust crystals, and he nods his head in satisfaction. Grabbing several boxes, he opens them to lay out a large pile of gravity Dust crystals that reaches up to the top of his head. A gleam enters his eyes as he outstretches a hand and blankets the crystals with his divine sense(will), then begins to refine them, extracting the energy within and leaving the impurities behind. After several moments, a dark purple misty energy emanates out from the pile of Dust and gathers into a small sphere above Jaune's palm.

_'Next, compress the_ energy.'

His fingers begin to curl inward, the resistance increasing as he clenches further. In response, the mass of energy's color darkens as it slowly compresses to a marble sized ball of pitch black energy.

_'Precisely control my divine sense and allow a small opening to let the intense gravity absorb the surrounding space...'_

Drops of sweat slide down Jaune's cheek as he slowly and carefully peels away a tiny sliver of the divine sense enveloping the marble of energy. Almost immediately, the space surrounding the pin sized hole distorts and twists.

_'Oh shi-'_

Jaune abandons the process and quickly conjures some Black Tortoise essence to reinforce himself, then braces. The pin sized hole violently ruptures open and releases a massive shockwave through the surrounding air, and Jaune takes the majority of the brunt as he was in the epicenter. Like a bullet through paper, he smashes through several storage units, tumbles and skips across the ground uncontrollably, before crashing against the warehouse's 2 foot thick steel wall.

After several minutes of laying in the indentation he'd created against the wall, he groans and pulls himself out. He cracks his neck with audible pops and pats the dust off his clothing. A brief cycle of Vermillion Bird essence through his body quickly heals the bruises and minor cuts he'd incurred within seconds.

Jaune walks through the aftermath of his "incident", back to the center of the warehouse where energy eruption originated. Thankfully, the vast majority of the Dust crates caught up in the explosion kept the Dust crystals within secure and undamaged. As he reaches the small crater he'd created, he begins to carefully ponder on what had gone wrong.

_'The sudden influx of space caused me to quickly lose control. If I could limit the intake somehow...'_

His gaze drifts towards one of the open storage units along with the Dust crates within. Jaune's eyes slightly widen and a glint flashes across them.

_'Of course.'_

With some impatience, Jaune quickly opens dozens of crates and forms another large pile of gravity Dust. Alongside the initial pile, he forms another one half the size of the first. A third and final pile is set beside him, but this time, hard light Dust crystals.

As he'd previously done, Jaune extends his divine sense around the largest Dust pile and refines their energy. Several minutes later, a familiar marble sized ball of pitch black energy hovers above his clawed hand. Maintaining his concentration on the marble, Jaune extends a second stream of divine sense around the second pile of gravity Dust, slowly refining and extracting their energy. With his mind, he guides the energy to surround the marble, creating a tennis ball size shell.

Breathing deeply and steadily, Jaune carefully peels away a pin sized hole on the divine sense maintaining the outer shell. This time, though the space distorts, it is only slight, and he is able to hold control over the process. Like a well filling with water, the shell saturates with the surrounding space. Due to the slower absorption rate, space rebounds and expands to fill the void in a nonviolent manner. After an hour, the outer shell is fully saturated, and Jaune closes off the opening he'd made.

_'Be stable.'_

This time, Jaune peels away an opening on the divine sense covering the marble. Due to the stronger gravitational force, the space absorbed by the shell gets siphoned into the marble like a sponge. Because the process was now completely isolated from the outside world, Jaune is able to maintain stability as the marble hungrily feeds on the space. Unlike with the outer shell, the marble absorbs what Jaune had collected in an hour, in mere minutes.

Jaune sighs out.

Over the next several hours, Jaune painstakingly repeats this process until finally, the marble is unable to absorb anymore. Slowly, Jaune releases his hold on the outer shell, dispersing the energy harmlessly into the air, and observes his handiwork.

The previously black marble now seems to ripple internally and its surface constantly folds into itself. Wasting no more time, Jaune flicks his free hand towards the hard light Dust, quickly refining and extracting their energy. A cyan colored misty energy streams out and mixes with the gravity space core that he'd created. As the hard light energy mixes, the pitch black lightens in tone to a dark purple with thin streams of cyan swirling in spirals, accentuating and defining the constantly folding portions of the core.

Upon affirming that his creation is stable, Jaune cups it between both hands and exerts the full strength of his divine sense onto it, willing it to compress and shape to his liking. After straining for nearly half an hour, Jaune loudly grunts with a final push, and the core seemingly shatters into a bright flash of light.

Jaune collapses into a seated position, breathing heavily from the several hours of constant concentration and effort he'd put out. Wiping the heavy amount of sweat from his brow, Jaune lets out a grin, feeling the fruits of his labor clenched within his fist. He brings his hand up and unfurls his fingers, revealing a ring.

The ring is semi-transparent, like crystal, primarily dark purple with small swirls of cyan moving and swaying across its surface. Without hesitation, Jaune puts it on and the band of the ring shrinks to perfectly match the size of his finger. With a thought, a sliver of his divine sense enters the ring, revealing a vast pocket of space, large enough to easily fit the warehouse he is in.

Verifying his creation is functioning as planned, Jaune lets out a chuckle, then hums in great satisfaction.

_'A storage ring. Having one will be incredibly convenient for me going forward.'_

He eyes the piles of the gray and spent Dust crystals while rubbing the surface of his ring with his thumb.

_'This proves a growing suspicion I've had about Dust. The residents of Remnant are currently using Dust in a primitive manner. Though I doubt anyone could replicate what I've just done without the aid of divine sense and cultivation strength, further refining the energy within Dust should be within the realm of possibility for mortals.'_

Jaune leaps into the air and rapidly flies through the warehouse, waving his hand over the Dust crates and storage units as he passes by them. To an outsider, the massive containers and crates would be vanishing into thin air. Shortly after, half of the Dust in the warehouse is now safely stored within Jaune's storage ring, leaving the other half for Roman and the city, just as he'd promised.

Upon collecting his share, he lands near the warehouse exit and keys in the passcode to slide the door open. As he steps out, the light from the setting sun hits him, basking him in warmth. With a sigh, he hops into the air, rapidly accelerating high into the sky and out of view from those on foot, then heads back towards Patch.

* * *

***** Later that evening *****

At the small field next to the Patch home, Jaune is casually sitting on top of a log with Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Yang sitting on the ground in a semi-circle around him. In the back, Taiyang keeps watch as Qrow had departed earlier in the day for Anima.

Jaune scans over his friends' faces, noting varying degrees of emotion in their eyes, though Yang's is the only one he could get a clear reading on.

"I believe that it would be a good exercise to test each of you on how well you know yourselves. Let's start from Ren."

Jaune gestures to Ren with a hand. In turn, Ren closes his eyes in thought for several moments.

"The most obvious weakness I have is my lack of offensive capabilities. I can not hit hard like Nora or Yang, nor am I highly skilled compared to Pyrrha or Ruby. Unlike everyone else here, I am not well equipped for solo combat."

He pauses.

"As for my strengths, I can be rather silent and agile, as demonstrated in our team fight during the Vytal Tournament. Which brings me to the fact that I do best when I am in a team setting. I can also feel that my sensory abilities derived from my Semblance are improving"

Jaune nods. As expected, Ren seems to recognize his limits quite well.

"How far do you think your sensory capabilities can go?" Jaune asks.

"I'm... not sure," Ren replies.

"Well, think about it this way. If you're able to sense the emotions from those surrounding you, do you think you'll eventually be able to sense intent?"

Ren's brow scrunches in thought.

_'Intent? What does he mean by intent? Does he mean the intent one has before they take any sort of action?'_

"Are you suggesting that my Semblance may allow me to predict attacks?"

Jaune gives a small smile.

"It is already a known fact that Huntsmen and Huntresses have sharpened senses, able to react to sudden danger with relative accuracy. However, with your Semblance, that instinct has the potential to become honed to another level of effectiveness and consistency. Of course, this is all speculation at the moment, but in my opinion, that possibility is worth exploring. In the end, it depends on you."

Ren's eyes slightly widen, his mind racing to some up with other possibilities.

"As you've said, you excel when working with others. In the field, your presence could prevent your team from being taken by surprise. It goes without saying how valuable it is to maximizing the chances of your team's survival. Because your survival is directly tied to the team's survival, I believe that you should focus on your defensive capabilities. If you can fully realize the hypothetical ability to sense intent, your safety would be further secured."

Ren brings a hand up to his chin, clearly intrigued. Previously, he did not have a clear path of training in his mind. He'd figured that for now, he would just follow through with standard training. It is just as he'd thought yesterday during their conversation with Coco and Velvet; regarding Jaune, there is a massive difference in experience between him and them.

"Okay Nora, you're next."

Nora gulps, then sheepishly chuckles.

"Well... like Ren pointed out, I hit _really_ hard. Speed isn't an issue either when my Semblance is active. I guess my weakness is that I use up a lot of Aura."

Jaune internally sighs.

_'The way she words it implies that she believes her Aura usage is her only main weakness.'_

"Anything else you'd like to mention?"

"Hmm... nope."

Jaune stands up from his seat on the log, then walks to a more open area.

"Nora, I want you use Magnhild and hit me like you usually hit your opponents."

"What?" Nora looks surprised.

"Come on," Jaune taunts by wagging a finger. "Unless you're just all talk, hit me like you mean it."

A competitive glint flashes across Nora's eyes as she reaches behind her and expands her weapon to hammer form. Ruby, Yang, and Pyrrha watch curiously, though slightly confused. While Ren remains silent, observing Jaune's actions, trying to decipher what exactly he's trying to teach Nora.

Sparks of pink electricity snake across her torso, and Nora hefts Magnhild up with both hands for an overhead swing.

"Alright, you asked for it!"

Nora suddenly accelerates forward in a blur due to her charged state, then swings down towards Jaune's head. Rather casually, Jaune brings up his left hand and brushes against the side of Nora's weapon, causing it to swing past him harmlessly. As Nora lurches forward from her attack, a hand reaches up to her head and flicks her on the forehead, knocking her several feet away, landing on her back.

She blinks once, then growls in frustration. Jaune patiently waits, allowing Nora to flip back onto her feet. Sparks snake across her body once more as she charges herself, and Jaune taunts her once more by lazily smiling and wagging a finger at her to come.

Her eyes narrow and she dashes forward once again, this time going for a side swing for Jaune's ribs. She viciously smiles when she feels her hammer make contact, only to quickly lose that smile with wide eyes as she realizes that Jaune has blocked it straight on with the back of his hand.

"This isn't even fai-" She manages to say, before receiving another flick to the head.

"Well, you should be glad you're learning this lesson in the confines of training, and not out in the field," Jaune sighs.

Nora sits up and grumbles in response while rubbing the red spot on her head.

"So, what did you learn from our brief spar?"

"That fighting you is pointless?"

Jaune remains silent, then raises an eyebrow.

Nora sighs, "My attacks are predictable despite being fast."

"I wouldn't say that's necessarily your main issue," Jaune shakes his head. "Your main problem is that you commit too much with every blow you throw out. It's devastating against weaker and equal opponents, but needlessly dangerous to yourself against far stronger ones."

Jaune walks back to his log and sits down.

"Are you able to use your Semblance in smaller bursts?" He asks.

"Hmm... kind of? I can stretch a single charge of my Semblance to maybe three or four separate attacks."

"I suggest that you try to increase that number. It should help with your Aura usage problem as well. In addition, think more about follow ups to your attacks should you hit or miss. You also got easily taunted."

Nora glances to the side towards Ren, who nods in return.

"Fine..." she groans.

"Pyrrha? You're next."

Pyrrha breathes out once and begins to recite, "I think it goes without question that I greatly under-utilize my polarity Semblance. However, due to my self induced limitations on my Semblance usage, my close combat skills improved significantly."

"Well that's an understatement if I've ever heard one," Yang mumbles.

Slightly pink, Pyrrha continues, "And due to not using my Semblance as much as most others use theirs, its precision and Aura usage are not as efficient as I'd like them to be."

"Wait, I thought you always use your Semblance. That's why your opponents always barely miss and people call you the Invincible Girl, right?" Ruby asks.

Jaune shakes his head before Pyrrha could reply.

"No, that is not true at all. From what I've seen in my time in Beacon, Pyrrha has won the vast majority of her matches through sheer skill. Quite frankly, even compared to all of you who could be argued to be geniuses in their own right, Pyrrha is an exceptional talent."

Pyrrha's face grows redder. It is one thing to hear praise from complete strangers, but quite another to hear them without reserve from those close to you. Especially Jaune.

Jaune slightly smiles at Pyrrha.

"Does this mean that you're finally willing to invest more time and effort into training your Semblance?"

She slowly nods.

"I... When I was facing Cinder, my shortcomings became ever apparent. Shortcomings that would have led to my..." Pyrrha trails off while averting her eyes.

The others shift uncomfortably, knowing exactly how that sentence ends. Jaune keeps his gaze on Pyrrha steadfast, unphased by her statement. After all, he'd seen the results of her death firsthand.

"Do you have a plan for developing your Semblance?" Jaune gently asks.

Pyrrha hesitates before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, outside of just using it more frequently, I don't have much of an idea on how to improve it."

She looks up at Jaune.

"Do you have any ideas or suggestions?"

"Hmm... I believe that I'll be able to help in terms of expanding your knowledge regarding your Semblance's nature. However, in terms of training its usage, there is someone who is better suited to instruct you than I am."

"Who?" Pyrrha asks curiously.

"Professor Goodwitch of course," Jaune chuckles. "Both of your Semblances are similar in terms of manipulating objects. She has years of personal experience on how to properly deal with whatever hurdles you may come across."

Pyrrha makes a surprised face.

"That... makes a lot of sense. But do you think she'll have the time? She's become rather busy having to deal with the aftermath of the attack, right?"

"I'll talk to her about it, there's nothing to worry about," Jaune replies confidently. He turns his gaze towards the youngest in the group.

"Ruby, it's your turn."

"Uhh... well," Ruby rubs the back of her head. "My hand to hand combat isn't great... but I'm really fast!"

_'Just fast?'_

Jaune testily asks, "Can you try explaining exactly how your Semblance works?"

Ruby tilts her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asks with some uncertainty.

Jaune sighs, "Do you remember the food fight in the dining hall?"

"Um... yes?" Ruby looks confused by the sudden change in topic.

Jaune glances at everyone else.

"Do you all remember how the fight ended? What Ruby did at the very end?"

"Yeah, of course we do," Nora replies. "She went all super fast and slammed us against the wall with the vacuum she generated."

"And was she running?"

"Duh! Of course she was-"

Nora pauses.

"Wait a minute..."

"She turned into a burst of rose petals," Ren says.

Ruby looks down, vaguely recalling that detail. In fact, she remembers that she did a similar thing when she ran up the side of Beacon Tower.

"Okay..." Ruby's eyes squint in thought. "So what does this mean?"

Jaune leans forward.

"All this means is that your Semblance is not necessarily speed, but is likely one of the minor aspects of your Semblance. Therefore, I'd suggest you to begin experimenting with your Semblance. Try and explore what it can do outside of just speed. You've already done it several times solely on instinct, but actively exploring it would provide twice the results for half the effort."

Ruby slowly nods in response.

"As for your weakness in hand to hand combat, the solution to that problem is simple. Avoid getting put into such a position by carrying a backup weapon. It can be something small like a hidden dagger, or even something like a spare scythe that you can keep hidden from enemy view. In fact, most of you should consider carrying a spare weapon. It can be a powerful trump card to use as a surprise attack."

Everyone pauses for a second. This solution Jaune is proposing is very practical. Several of them feel quite foolish for not having thought of it themselves. For someone like Ruby, who has has little to no affinity with hand to hand combat, spending time on learning to do so would be an immense waste of time and effort. Instead, she can cover her main weakness by training in what she loves to use, weapons.

Satisfied, Jaune turns his gaze to the final member of the group in front of him. Yang slightly shifts, subconsciously bringing her left hand up to her missing arm. She sighs once before bringing her gaze up to meet Jaune's straight on.

"I'm not in any condition to fight right now."

"Then when will you be?" Jaune calmly asks.

Her gaze briefly wavers.

"I-I'm not sure."

Jaune hums in thought before his expression takes a more serious turn.

"I'll only ask one thing then, Yang."

"And what's that?"

"Do you regret losing your arm?"

Hushed gasps sound out from the group, surprised by Jaune's rather blunt question about such a sensitive topic. Yang stiffens, while Taiyang intently observes the scene from the back.

"I..." Yang looks down at her missing arm with a complicated look in her eyes. A mixture of anger, frustration, and conflict. She takes a small breath in an attempt to compose herself. Yang is fully aware that she did not lose her arm solely because Adam was more skilled.

Her head tilts back up to meet Jaune's impassive face.

"The short answer to your question is... no. I can't regret losing it."

_'If it was Ruby, Weiss, or any of my other close friends in Blake's position, I would've reacted in a similar way.'_

A look of praise flashes across Jaune's eyes, and he gives a small smile.

"If that's the case, then why do you say you're not ready to fight?" He rhetorically asks.

Before Yang could reply, Jaune continues.

"Do you know what the most important trait for a warrior is? It's not their strength, talent, or speed. In the end, none of those matter if one lacks resolve."

In the back, Taiyang nods to himself in agreement, as he'd learned that lesson from his personal experience... and failures.

Jaune points a finger at Yang.

"Your resolve is still strong."

His finger moves to point at her stump.

"And _that_ is hardly a hurdle that will stop you. So I ask, Yang Xiaolong," Jaune's voice gains a regal tone. "Are you ready to fight? Or are you not?"

Yang's mouth is slightly open, and her lilac eyes glance between Ruby and her dad, both of whom are giving her encouraging nods. Some steel enters her eyes in response.

"What should I do?" She asks Jaune.

"Good," Jaune nods in approval. "For now, focus on your recovery. I have some things in mind for your training, but the details will have to wait."

Jaune looks at each person around him.

"I'd like all of you to think carefully about what lies in the realm of possibility of your respective abilities. Use your imaginations. All of you have been far too comfortable with continuously doing what you already know."

His eyes glint.

_'Though I have a idea on how their abilities can potentially develop, I will not outright tell them until they step onto the path on their own. Otherwise, this entire exercise is meaningless."_

* * *

***** Unknown Location *****

Cinder jolts up into a seated position on top of her bed in a darkened room, sweat drenching her sleeping gowns and sheets. Her eyes dart back and forth before realizing that she is in her room. In an attempt to expel the thoughts currently haunting her, she tightly closes her eyes for several moments.

Reaching to her right, she draws the curtains back, illuminating her room with the light reflected from the shattered moon in the sky. Her eyes blankly stare at the black pits of tar scattered across the barren plains down below, with the occasional Grimm emerging from them. She glances at the bloodied bandages wrapping around her missing left arm with ire, before grabbing her Scroll resting on top of a drawer beside her bed. After several presses on her screen, she sets the Scroll back down and waits.

Within a few short moments, several soft knocks sound out from the rooms entrance.

"It's open."

In response, the door quietly opens and Emerald hastily walks in.

"Bandages and water," Cinder grunts out.

Emerald quickly walks to the drawer and opens it, revealing rolls of medical bandages as well as a bottle of salve cream. With practiced efficiency, she unrolls one of the bandages and applies the salve onto the material. Then, she walks over to a sink across the room and retrieves a small clean towel and dampens it with warm water. Once she returns to Cinder, Emerald gingerly unwraps the bandages from the wound.

Cinder involuntarily hisses as her injury is exposed to the air. Wasting no time, Emerald cleans the wounded area with the damp cloth, taking extra care to not brush against the open wound needlessly. The only indication of Cinder feeling the pain is constant slight shivering as Emerald does her work. Once cleaned, Emerald grabs the new salve bandages and presses it against Cinder's injury. Sweat beading on her face, Emerald quickly, and neatly ties up the bandages.

Breathing heavily from the ordeal, Cinder tightly clutches the bed sheets with her remaining arm, due to equal parts pain, frustration, and rage. The Mistress could have easily sealed up the injury using her magic, but _She _refused, ruling that she must suffer through the healing process. To learn.

"Um, Cinder?" Emerald softly calls out.

Without verbal acknowledgement, Cinder throws a sidewards glance, signaling Emerald to continue.

"I was told to inform you that... _She..._ requires your presence in tomorrow's meeting," Emerald shudders.

Cinder's eyes narrow and a brief flash of flames lick across them.

"You can go now."

"Of course," Emerald softly replies. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me."

Without responding, Cinder turns her head back to the window, gazing out across the barren lands surrounding them. Emerald softly sighs to herself and quietly exits the room.


	21. Chapter 21

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

**NOTE: Hello. Just want to say that I hope everyone is doing their part in being safe and keeping others safe due to the recent COVID19 outbreak.**

"I can certainly see your point on Miss Nikos benefiting greatly from my advice," Glynda comments as she sips from her cup.

"You'll do it then?"

Glynda glances at the looming stacks of paper stacked neatly atop her desk with a slight glare.

Jaune leans back in his chair, amused at her expression.

"Have you considered recruiting Oobleck? As a historian, he has ample experience in deciphering text at a rapid pace. Combined with the fact that he's a respectable, experienced Huntsmen and professor of Beacon, he should be able to make well informed decisions." Jaune says with a teasing tone.

Glynda's head snaps from the paper stacks onto Jaune's eyes with her mouth slightly ajar. She quickly reaches under her desk and brings out her Scroll to flip it open. Her slender fingers rapidly type out a message, then she presses the _send_ button. Snapping her Scroll shut, Glynda interlocks her fingers on desk's surface and stares patiently towards her office entrance.

Within a minute, the door slams open and a figure rushes into the room.

"I need my research funding!" Oobleck gasps out as he skids to a stop in front of Glynda's desk.

"Why don't you take a seat first? _Bartholomew_." Glynda calmly responds and gestures to an empty seat beside Jaune.

A shiver runs down Oobleck's spine. How long has it been since she'd addressed him informally?

"Y-yes, of course," he manages to stammer out and obediently seats himself. His head turns to Jaune, finally seeming to notice him. Though under normal circumstances, he would greet Jaune, at this current moment in time, Oobleck senses that his full attention should be given to the Headmistress.

"Bartholomew," Glynda starts, causing Oobleck to involuntarily straighten his posture even further. Jaune silently turns his head away, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes.

"I called you here because I'm going to need you to process the paperwork submitted by the Council. If you don't want your rather _generous_ sum of research funding reduced..."

Glynda doesn't both finishing her sentence, but instead gracefully adjusts her glasses.

"B-but..."

"I'm only asking you do handle the low and middle priority level of paperwork. I believe that you are a suitable candidate for such a job with your experience as a Huntsmen, professor, and historian. As for myself, I'll be able to spend more quality time with regards to the more... sensitive decisions that need to be made, as well as opening more time to aid in the repairs." Glynda gives Oobleck a small smile.

"This is all acceptable, yes?"

Oobleck visibly flinches at her expression.

_'If I say no, the funding will become the least of my worries. I thought she'd mellowed out compared to our Academy days, but apparently not...'_

With a dejected sigh, Oobleck responds, "I suppose I can make the time."

Glynda slowly takes a sip from her cup.

"Once the situation stabilizes, I suppose I can deviate extra funds towards your research... depending on your performance of course," she casually remarks.

_'Beating the horse, then offering it a carrot.'_

Jaune's eyebrow raises.

Oobleck perks up, his glasses gleaming with excitement.

"You mean it?"

"Of course," Glynda nods. "It's within my capacity as acting Headmistress."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Time's a-wasting!" Oobleck stands up from his seat.

"Doctor Oobleck," Jaune calls out. "Before you leave, I'm wondering if you happen to have any reference documents or maps of Mountain Glenn."

Oobleck looks down at Jaune with some intrigue.

"Mountain Glenn? Of course I have such documents. My thesis was based on that site and its historical impact to Remnant. Why do you ask?"

Jaune flashes a smile, "I've been thinking that a hunting trip is in order. A map would be useful."

_'A hunting trip? For Grimm? But right now, Mountain Glenn is-'_

Oobleck adopts a serious expression and nods, "I'll have them sent to you as soon as possible."

"That would be much appreciated," Jaune nods back.

"Now, if that is all you'll need me for, I'll be taking my leave."

"The paperwork will be sent to your office later today," Glynda remarks as Oobleck leaves her office.

After a small moment of silence, Jaune chuckles, "That was rather manipulative of you. I'm impressed."

"I've known Bartholomew for years. So it goes without saying that I know what makes him tick," Glynda responds with a smile.

"Though, even with the extra free time, I'll only be able to assist Miss Nikos once or twice a week at most."

Jaune waves a hand dismissively.

"That's more than enough. She'll only need small hints here and there for the more intricate hurdles she comes across. You and I both know that she does not need someone to baby her."

"I suppose you're right," Glynda sighs.

Jaune rubs his chin, then asks in a low voice, "Any signs of Ozpin yet?"

"Unfortunately not," Glynda responds in an equally low voice. "The elevator shaft leading down to the Vault has been completely caved in, and we have yet to fully assess the extent of the damage. For all we know, the entire structure will collapse into itself if we haphazardly begin removing the rubble. We also can not let the existence of the Vault become widespread public knowledge, so only a limited number of people will be able to work on this project. The current plan is to reinforce the walls of the shaft with my Semblance progressively as we slowly get rid of the debris."

She pinches the sides of her temple.

"This is going to be a... strenuous process."

"There's no other path down to the Vault?"

Glynda sighs out in frustration, "To our current knowledge, no. But I would not be at all surprised if Professor Ozpin had intentionally hidden such a detail from the rest of us."

"Hmm... How troublesome"

Jaune's eyes narrow in thought.

***** In the city *****

Jaune looks up at the sky as he stands high above the city.

_'The season is finally beginning to shift into Winter... and it's a full moon tonight.'_

The Scroll in Jaune's pocket rings. Flipping it open, Jaune briefly looks over the detailed map of Mountain Glenn's surface and intricate tunnels within. After sending a quick message of thanks to Ooobleck, Jaune pockets his device and blurs out of vision to appear on the streets down below.

Nobody seems to notice his sudden appearance as Jaune walks with deliberate, rhythmic foot steps. As he casually strolls through the streets, he takes note of the various types of shops, cafes, and business receiving much less traffic than one would expect in the inner part of the city. Eventually, he stops in front of a wine and spirits shop and opens its doors to enter.

"Welcome," the store owner greets him with a gruff voice. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Jaune glances around the store as he walks towards the owner, eyeing the relatively empty shelves. The owner quickly explains.

"It's not just my store. All the shops carrying alcohol have been receiving a substantial increase in business. Ever since the attack on the city and Beacon, Vale's residents have been... stressed. Honestly can't say that I'm really happy about this, despite the amount of money coming in," he grunts.

With a sigh, Jaune asks, "Do you carry rice wine?"

The owner's somber face quirks up in curiosity.

"That's an interesting request you're making there. Not a popular choice of drink here in Vale compared to Mistral. Lucky for you, I was born and raised in Mistral, so I've got a respectable selection in the cellar. You have any particular brand or producer in mind?"

Jaune shakes his head.

"I'll leave that up to you and your better judgement. Feel free to give me a variety of recommendations as I'll be taking multiple bottles."

"Give me a few minutes," the owner responds before going down into a cellar behind his counter.

Left alone in the store temporarily, Jaune casually peruses through the aisles before noticing a commotion on the opposite side of the street. With nothing better to do, Jaune walks up to the store window, witnessing an altercation between a raccoon Faunus and a restaurant employee.

"There are currently no open seats available. You can either choose to wait or go elsewhere. I deeply apologize for this inconvenience."

"What! There are plenty of seats available. I can clearly see them behind you!" The Faunus exclaims while pointing.

"Sir, please do not yell. You are disturbing our patrons and the public," the worker calmly replies.

"This is ridiculous! I've been a customer of this establishment for years!"

The worker notices a human couple walking up to the restaurant from behind the Faunus.

"What can I do for you two today? Do you have a reservation?"

The male responds, "No, but if possible, we'd like a table for two."

"Of course," the worker brightly smiles. "We just so happen to have a table available. Please, come on in and another waitress will be waiting to escort you."

A vein visibly bulges on the Faunus' temple.

"You piece of-"

"Sir, I'm going to have to politely ask you to leave," the worker interrupts with a frown. "Otherwise, you will leave me no choice but to involve the Vale police for disrupting our business."

His hands tightly clenched, the Faunus spits on the ground near the worker's feet, then storms away in the opposite direction. Several onlookers murmur, silently conversing between themselves on the treatment of that Faunus. Jaune merely shakes his head at the scene.

That's not so uncommon these days," the owner's gruff voice comments out from behind Jaune.

"Ever since that night, the tensions between humans and Faunus have risen significantly. I mean, there's always been discriminatory behavior, but never as blatant as _that_."

"And what's your position on the matter?" Jaune inquires.

The owner gestures to his empty shelves.

"I'll sell my products to anyone who pays. In my opinion, everyone's suffering right now and are looking for ways to cope, no matter how unhealthy. I'm just doing my part in providing my service to anyone who needs it."

He leans in closer to Jaune.

"Just between you and me, I've had more Faunus come to my store than anyone else. I know I'm not alone in this sentiment either. That picture that's been circulating lately... it's really got some folks on the fence."

The store owner takes a closer look at Jaune.

"Now that I think about it... you've got blonde hair too..."

Jaune raises an eyebrow and innocently replies, "Blonde hair isn't exactly rare."

The owner straightens up and chuckles to himself.

"Of course I know that. I just thought it interesting to point out. Anyways, why don't you follow me back to the counter. I've got a selection for you to see."

Laid across the counter are half a dozen ceramic bottles of different shapes and sizes. Jaune walks over to them and picks a bottle at random. He undoes the cork and sniffs the lip of the bottle, breathing in the fragrance emanating from the container. A slight tingle tickles his nose as a small stream of warmth travels through his body.

"Good wine," he comments while eyeing the bottle appreciatively. "If the others are anything like this one, I'll be taking them all."

The owner lets out a low laugh, "All of these are personal favorites of mine, though in my opinion, the one you picked up is in the middle of the pack. I can guarantee you that you'll find the other five acceptable."

Jaune nods and reaches into his pocket with the hand wearing his storage ring. He discreetly brings out several stacks of Lien he'd found in Roman's warehouse and lays them on the counter.

"Will this be enough?"

The normally stoic eyes of the owner are nearly bulging upon seeing the amount of money Jaune had casually put out.

"This is... way too much. You'd easily be able to buy ten times the amount of wine I'd brought out for you!"

Jaune hums to himself before replying, "Then keep 10% of whatever difference remains and set the rest aside as credit for me."

The man's eyes brighten at the prospect of essentially free money. He takes Jaune's hand and enthusiastically shakes it.

"Pleasure doing business with you then! I'll be wrapping these right up for you."

As Jaune nods, the store's door opens as a new customer enters.

"Welcome. Can I help you with anything?" The owner greets.

Uneven steps slowly walk up to the counter.

"I'd like a bottle of that wine please," a soft, reserved female voice responds as she points at one of the six bottles on the counter.

An apologetic expression appears on the owner's face as he rubs the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ah... that one? I'm sorry miss, but this particular bottle was the very last one I had in stock. If you're interested in any of the other five..."

The woman lets out a depressed sigh.

"That one is his favorite..."

Jaune turns his head to face the woman, and his eyebrows slightly raise up. A middle aged woman stands beside him wearing an elegant black mourning gown with two matching rings adorning her ring finger.

_'This woman is...'_

Unlike Jaune, the woman is occupied in her own thoughts and staring blankly down at the floor.

"She can have that one. On me."

The owner pauses for a moment, then gives Jaune a respectful nod as he sets the bottle to the side.

Registering the words uttered by Jaune, the woman looks up in surprise, though she fails to recognize him.

"I-is it okay? You are sure?" She quietly asks.

Jaune grabs the organized box of his wine with one hand and waves the other dismissively. As he turns around and walks away, he whispers, "Consider it a gift. From one mourner to another."

He pushes the store's door open and steps through. The woman's eyes widen as she finally processes the facial features and stature of the man who'd just left. She limps to the door as quickly as her injured ankle would allow her to and opens the door, finding no sign of the mysterious man out on the street. It couldn't have been more than a few seconds that had passed in between.

She begins to tremble as she recalls her and her daughter's savior from that night. Facing no particular direction, she gives a small bow of gratitude, ignoring the strange looks being thrown her way from those passing by.

Up in the skies, Jaune looks down at the scene thoughtfully. With a wave of his hand, the packaged bottles of wine gets stored into his ring, then he flies off towards the West, to Patch.

***** Unknown Location *****

A maniacal, mocking voice says, "So the little princess is finally ready to rejoin us?"

Cinder remains calmly seated on her chair, her amber eyes slightly narrowing at the taunt. Standing behind her are the visibly uncomfortable figures of Mercury and Emerald.

On the opposite corner of the table, Hazel remains deathly still with his eyes closed and arms crossed, paying no attention to the commotion. Sitting across from Cinder is a lanky man wearing a fashionable suit and casually fiddling with an unknown trinket. He sends an arrogant smirk towards Cinder.

"I still find it amazing that despite the amount of planning and effort we'd invested, you failed."

Watts brings the trinket up to get a closer look, before shrugging to himself and fiddling with it once again. A hint of fire flashes across Cinder's eyes before the large wooden door leading into the room swings open. An ice cold mist fills the air as their Mistress glides across the floor.

Everyone immediately stands up into attention.

Salem takes her seat at the end of the table and brings up a pale hand, signaling them to take their seats. As they do so, Salem begins to speak. Her silk like voice caressing their ears and soothing their minds. Emerald and Mercury fail to suppress shudders as the vast contrast between her angelic voice and demonic appearance is too much for them to bear without reaction.

"There is no need for such hostility, Doctor Watts," Salem's motherly tone gently chides. Her blood red eyes glance at the man in question.

Watts gives a small bow.

"Of course. I apologize, milady. I am simply frustrated at the result of our latest operation, despite the amount of time and effort we'd invested into it. I was unable to keep it to myself."

"This is merely a temporary setback. We can not always assume all our objectives will be met, no matter how perfect the plan is," Salem calmly replies.

"Though," Salem turns her head towards Cinder and gives a motherly smile. "I am curious about the details of how you were bested. As I was kind enough to allow you to rest without pushing for answers, I am expecting them now. How did you end up returning in such a... _pitiful_ state?"

Cinder shudders and swallows, her throat feeling dry. She musters up her courage and confidently looks up to meet her mistress's piercing eyes.

"An unforeseen anomaly interfered. He does by the name of Jaune Arc."

One of Salem's eyebrows quirks up, while Tyrian sports a vicious smile.

_'An Arc...'_

Cinder continues, "In the midst of finalizing the destruction of Beacon Tower, Jaune Arc had suddenly appeared in front of my eyes on top of the tower. I did not see _how_ he got there."

Cinder gestures with her hand, prompting Emerald to place a Scroll on top of the table surface. A hologram of Jaune displays itself in the air. Salem shows little reaction to the image, save for the slightest hint of a frown forming.

"He gravely injured the Wyvern by pointing his finger at it and severing part of its wing. Again, I did not see exactly what happened. Soon afterwards, we engaged in brief combat."

Cinder takes a moment to breath.

"I successfully blocked his first attack by conjuring a barrier. In response, I stroke back as I'd noticed that he looked very pale. My attack was blocked by an unknown force, but blood was dribbling out from his mouth. I prepared to take advantage of his weakness, but he pointed his finger at me once again. I brought my defenses up to block, but..."

Cinder glances down at her left arm.

"Afterwards, he fell into a puddle of blood he'd thrown up, and Ruby Rose arrived. Her silver eyes activated, and I took that opportunity to retreat." Cinder concludes.

Salem silently stares at Cinder, and no one dares to make a noise. Finally, she outstretches a hand towards Cinder and curls a finger. Cinder winces as a drop of blood gets extracted from underneath her bandages and floats through the air. Salem gently flicks the droplet and a sliver of white energy appears in place of the blood, furiously darting through the air like a tiny bolt of lightning.

Her red eyes narrow and she clenches her hand, entrapping the white energy and crushing it to nothing.

"Come here," Salem softly beckons.

With some trepidation, Cinder obediently rises from her seat and walks to Salem's side. Salem traces the bandages with her finger, instantly disintegrating them to dust and exposing Cinder's wound to the open air. Several drops of sweat coat Cinder's forehead as the cold air in the room licks the open parts of her wound.

Without further warning, Salem directs a hand towards Cinder's injury and curls it into a claw. Cinder involuntarily cries out in pain as the force emitted by Salem slowly draws out a white stream of crackling energy out from the end of the stump, coalescing into a sphere above Salem's palm.

After several excruciating minutes, Salem completes the extraction process and Cinder collapses onto the floor, gasping for breath and drenched in cold sweat. She warily looks up at the violent energy roaring and bolting through the air as it eventually dissipates into the air.

"I want a full detailed report on everything you know on Jaune Arc," Salem commands. "Get eyes into Vale. We must assume that he survived whatever grave injuries he incurred and keep a constant eye on him."

"Will he be a threat to our plans?" Hazel's voice rumbles out.

A deep frown mars Salem's face.

"We must gather more information on him in order to accurately determine that fact. I do not know how Ozpin had managed to keep someone like him hidden from our eyes. Speaking of which," Salem glances down at Cinder. "were you able to kill Ozpin?"

Cinder slowly breathes out, "He was incredibly skilled and strong. However, the raw power of the Maiden's magic had overpowered him. Not even ashes remained when he was finally hit by my attack."

"And what of that silver eyed girl?" Watts politely inquires.

"The silver eyes are a dwindling breed. She has no proper mentor to instruct her in their ways. We will not disregard her, but there is no need to be overly cautious." Salem comments dismissively. "Doctor Watts, I'll be entrusting you with the task of monitoring the status of Vale. Report back immediately with any interesting developments or with regards to Jaune Arc and Ruby Rose."

"Of course," Watts slightly bows with a confident smirk.

"Tyrian."

"Yes, my lady?" Tyrian croons.

"I believe it's time you returned to Anima. Hunting season is approaching."

Tyrian claps to himself in glee.

"Hazel."

"Yes?"

"Secure our communication with our contact in the White Fang. Ensure their full cooperation."

Hazel grunts in affirmation.

"And finally, Cinder," Salem looks at her with a passive expression. "You will remain by my side as I teach you the ways of magic."

Salem waves a hand in dismissal, indication the meeting was not over. As Cinder picks herself up to follow the others out the room, Salem's voice causes her to pause.

"Cinder, stay behind."

She grimly nods, then signals Emerald and Mercury to leave. The massive wooden doors close with a resounding thud, leaving Salem and Cinder alone.

"You have something on your mind. Speak." Salem softly says.

"About Jaune Arc..."

"You are wondering why I am taking such caution against him?"

Cinder nods in response.

"The Arc family line is quite prestigious and full of exceptional warriors. They must _never_ be underestimated. Tyrian knows from firsthand experience, as his scars are from a single encounter with one of the Arcs."

Cinder's eyes slightly widen. Despite Tyrian's insanity, she acknowledges and respects that he is an incredibly skilled fighter.

"If the Arc family is so exceptional, why aren't they famous throughout Remnant? It should have at least rung a bell and I would have taken further precautions." Cinder asks in a low voice.

Salem's eyes narrow as she gazes ahead.

"The history of the Arcs is ancient and buried away from the rest of the world. They are a recluse family that rarely makes their moves, but when they do, they create waves. I'd believed that the current generation of the Arc family had been fully accounted for, and I had no intention of having you encounter one yet. That is why I did not tell you of them, so that you would remain focused on your immediate tasks without distraction."

She sighs, "The _Arc_ name is a recent creation. A fabrication and illusion created between the family and Ozpin to further their obscurity."

"A fabrication? Then what is their true name?"

Salem's eyes briefly flicker with emotion before she quickly blinks it away.

"That is not important. All you need to know is that anyone bearing the name of Arc must _never_ be taken lightly. If Jaune Arc is the only one that was unaccounted for, there are seven others in his generation. All his sisters. If you ever encounter them in the future, I suggest you retreat immediately, unless you know with absolute certainty that you will emerge victorious. Without exception, all Arcs inherit light blonde hair and aquamarine eyes. Keep these traits in mind for the future."

***** Patch *****

Without a sound, Jaune lands on top of the roof and sits down, sensing the commotion from within the house.

"He did what?" Ruby exclaims in horror.

"We only found out about it the other day from Velvet and Coco," Nora replies.

"B-but... why?" Ruby's silver eyes are wide open.

"That is not something we can fully answer," Ren sighs. "Obviously, part of the reason was to protect Coco and her team, but the point remains that he did not _have_ to go about that course of action to accomplish that. So there must have been another compelling reason."

"Reason or not, it was wrong," Ruby whispers. "We're supposed to be future Huntsmen and Huntresses..."

Yang says in a low voice, "If it was Ruby in that position, I would have likely done the same."

"Yang?"

Yang shifts her gaze away, subconsciously towards her missing arm.

"Ruby, the world isn't as black and white as you'd like it to be. Even you know that fact deep down inside."

She looks back up at Ruby with sad eyes.

"What if... it was Penny in that situation? Or me?"

Ruby trembles at the question and a hint of rage flashes across her eyes at the mention of Penny. She tightly clenches her hands into fists.

"But that's not what Huntsmen and Huntresses should be!" Ruby yells.

Ruby is now up on her feet, her eyes watering and tears threatening to fall.

"It's not what mom would have-"

She freezes, remembering that there are others in the room. Eyes wide in panic, she bursts into rose petals escapes through the front door of the house.

"Should... we go after her?" Nora asks.

Yang sadly sighs, "She's going to where she always does... She'll be fine and be back within a few hours. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"I must admit that I never expected Ruby to snap like that," Pyrrha softly comments.

"I don't want to say too much, but it's just that the recent events have been stressing Ruby a lot more than she outwardly shows." Yang says in a low voice. "It's not even necessarily about Jaune's actions that she's upset about."

Up on the rooftop, Jaune pushes himself up onto his feet, and hops up into the air.

***** Cliffside on overlooking Patch *****

Ruby hugs her knees as she leans against Summer's gravestone. The previous pent up frustration and anger has now simmered down to grief.

"Mom..." she whispers.

"I thought I could pretend everything is fine... but it's so hard." Ruby says softly to no one in particular. "Are Blake and Weiss okay?..."

"And then there's Yang, who I know is dealing with her own issues while trying to be strong... And... P-Penny... She... What am I supposed to feel? I feel angry... sad... scared... and I want to... I want to... _hurt..._ the ones responsible, but... what would you do? Mom..."

She clenches her cloak and wraps it tightly around herself.

From above, Jaune watches the scene silently before descending onto the ground near the treeline. He purposefully steps on a branch as he lands. Immediately, Ruby jolts up in high alert and grabs at Cresent Rose on her hip.

"Who's there?" She yells.

Jaune calmly steps out from the shadows, revealing himself to Ruby.

"J-Jaune..." Ruby's eyes widen. "What are you doing here?"

Jaune merely shakes his head in response and walks up to the gravestone.

"Thus kindly I scatter..." Jaune mutters, reading the epitaph aloud.

"It's a reference to my mom's favorite poem. At least, according to dad..." Ruby looks down sadly.

After a moment of silence, Ruby asks in a more cautious tone.

"So... Why are you here?"

"It is a full moon and the season is beginning to turn."

_'What?'_

Ruby's eyes narrow in confusion, trying to to make sense of what Jaune is saying. Without warning, Jaune takes a seat beside Ruby and brings out a bottle of the rice wine he'd procured earlier in the day.

"Would you care for a drink?"

Without waiting for her answer, Jaune produces three small cups from his storage ring, placing one of them on Summer's gravestone. He carefully fills the cup on the gravestone to the brim.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asks curiously.

"From where I came from, it is customary to honor the dead with wine or spirits." Jaune replies with a soft voice. He pours some wine into his own cup and lifts it up. The moon reflects onto the surface of the liquid.

Ruby's eyes widen at this gesture.

_'The moon... Was our speculation about Ying Yue correct?'_

Jaune glances at Ruby with a small smile.

"So you've all already guessed who Ying Yue is."

Ignoring Ruby's shocked reaction, Jaune continues, "Will you share a drink with me?"

Jaune offers her an empty cup, which she reaches out and takes hesitatingly. Knowing she is not used to drinking alcohol, Jaune only partially fills the drinking cup.

Silently toasting the moon once more, Jaune downs the contents of his cup, and savors the liquor as it travels down his throat. He tilts his head towards Ruby, who takes a tiny sip. Her lips scrunch at the initial burning sensation of the liquid, before her face slightly flushes at the warmth spreading through her body. She smacks her lips once before downing the rest of her cup's contents.

_'Ruby Rose, a natural drinker. Who would have guessed?' _Jaune's eyebrow raises up.

The two spend several minutes in silence, with only the sound of pouring wine breaking it.

Slightly red in the face, Ruby leans against the gravestone with a somber expression and mumbles, "Does this ever get easier?"

Jaune takes a moment to think while tracing the lip of his cup with a finger.

"I can not speak for anyone else but myself. It took a very _long_ time for me to come to terms that Ying Yue was gone."

Ruby turns her head towards Jaune and politely asks, "Could you tell me about her? If you don't mind?"

She prepares herself for a refusal as she knows that she'd just asked for something very personal, but she couldn't resist her sense of curiosity.

Jaune tilts his head up to the sky, staring directly at the full moon.

"Ying'er and I were orphaned at a very young age. For as long as we could remember, we had no one but each other. For years, we'd traveled from one town to another, scrounging up whatever we could find to eat and survive. Despite our hardships, Ying'er was always the optimistic one out of us. Eventually, in one of our stops, we happened upon a sect recruitment exam."

"What's a sect?"

"You may think of it as a school. Even in our position of limited knowledge, we knew that successfully joining a sect meant food, shelter, resources, and knowledge. So naturally, both of us participated as we believed that there was nothing to lose in trying."

Jaune closes his eyes, beginning to reminisce upon very old memories.

"By the end of the exam, Ying'er had proven herself to have prodigy level talent. An exceptional one at that. So they took her in as an inner disciple, while I'd displayed average level talent and was taken in as an outer disciple."

"What's the difference between the two?" Ruby asks.

"An inner disciple will receive much more attention and resources from the sect. It is a distinct separation between the talented and the average. Those who are destined to become great, and those who are not."

Ruby's expression changes to confusion.

_'Jaune was graded as average? How?'_

Jaune notices, but chooses to ignore Ruby's mental question.

"Even from a young age, I'd always known Ying'er to be particularly perceptive. But due to my lack of knowledge, I did not realize just how significant her innate talents were. It turned out she had a natural affinity for the Dao as a non practitioner, which is infinitesimally rare. One could say that she was a one in several trillion in terms of talent, blessed by the Dao itself. Naturally, the sect treated her as their upmost important treasure and princess of the entire sect. It is normal for one suddenly thrust into such a position to become arrogant, believing themselves to be a gift unto the world. However, Ying'er was anything but normal. Her heart had remained as pure as the day she was born..."

Jaune takes a moment to pause and downs the contents of his cup.

"As her direct blood relative, I'd received preferential treatment from the sect, despite being a mere outer disciple with average talent. Unlike her, I did not put much effort into my cultivation. I'd become overly comfortable with my position. To be quite frank, I was lazy and pathetic, while Ying'er possessed both the talent and drive."

His voice suddenly drops to a dull and cold tone.

"Then... Ying'er was taken."

Ruby suppresses a shudder.

"T-taken?"

"Jealousy is an ugly thing. There were many who had grown envious of Ying'er within the sect, the place we called home."

Jaune's face grows cold as he recalls.

"Several senior disciples and masters colluded together and ambushed Ying'er during one of her regular expeditions outside of the sect grounds. Though her master and bodyguards were present, fending off dozens of foes of similar caliber from an ambush is nearly impossible. In the end, they were all murdered and Ying'er was kidnapped."

"By the time the rest of the sect had found out, it was too late. Those filthy _snakes_ had extracted Ying'er's spiritual root to refine a drug and artificially increase their own talent base. The process had left Ying'er irreparably crippled and fatally injured."

Jaune's eyes narrow as he stares down at his hands.

"The sect did not punish them."

Ruby reels back in shock.

"W-what? But why?"

"This was a cruel lesson of reality I'd learned. The sects do not care for the individual, but rather their talent is paramount. Rather than punish them, the sect took all resources that were meant for Ying'er and distributed them amongst those _snakes_. As Ying'er was no longer of any use to the sect, both her and I were cast out like trash."

He fills his cup to the brim and promptly downs it with a single motion.

"It wasn't long after that event, Ying'er passed due to her injuries. The only thing I had left of her was a journal she'd painstakingly written for me, containing various notes about her insights to the Dao. After placing her to rest, I put myself into secluded isolation. I completely abandoned the cultivation I'd gotten from that sect, and started from the beginning, solely using Ying'er's journal, and whatever additional insights I could derive from it."

Jaune lets out a soft sigh, "She truly was a genius. After hundreds years, I finally emerged from my isolation. I journeyed alone for another several hundred, putting my insights into practice, until finally, I returned to that sect."

Ruby's eyes widen, noting the disdain in Jaune's tone.

"Then what happened?"

"In a single night, that sect was erased from the annals of history," Jaune coldly replies.

_'Was this the feeling Coco and Velvet felt from Jaune during that night? I don't like it.'_

Ruby suppresses a shiver.

"I made a vow," Jaune says. "That I would spread my name throughout the cultivation world, and keep Ying'er's legacy alive."

Ruby looks away from Jaune and rubs some stray dust away from Summer's gravestone.

"Do you think I'm on the right path to make her proud? How do I know? How did you know?"

Jaune gives her a melancholic smile.

"You should stick to whatever path your heart dictates. But I will warn you that obsessing over the opinion of the dead will not bring you a happy ending."

"But what if I don't know what my heart wants?" Ruby whispers.

"You will in time," Jaune assures. "Be mindful and open to learning from your's and others' experiences, so that when you do find your path, you'll know it to be true. Just be patient."

Ruby looks down at her cup, deep in thought. She turns her head and gives Jaune a quick smile.

"Thanks Jaune... I really would have liked to meet her. Your sister, I mean."

Jaune chuckles, "I'm sure she would have felt the same."

Ruby extends her cup towards Jaune, and the two resume watching the stars in silence as the wine continues to pour.

***** Past midnight *****

Though she'd reassured the others earlier that night, Yang paces across the living room alone restlessly. She silently debates to herself on whether or not to check up on Ruby at Summer's grave.

"What's taking you so long," Yang bites one of her fingernails as she continues to pace back and forth. She finally pauses her steps and grits her teeth.

"I don't care if you get upset with me for interrupting your private time with mom. It's getting way too late..."

She grabs the left component of Ember Celica and marches towards the front door. Missing arm or not, she's going to bring Ruby back home, any Grimm be damned. As she reaches out to unlock the door, a soft knock sounds out from the opposite side. Eyes widening with relief, Yang quickly unlocks the door and swings it open.

Jaune looks down at Yang with a hint of a smile as Ruby's small frame is cradled in his arms, tightly wrapped up in her red cloak and lightly snoring in her sleep. Yang instinctively steps aside, though she is currently at a loss for words. Jaune steps into the home with light steps and gently lets Ruby down onto one of the couches. Ruby lets out an indiscernible mumble as her position gets shifted.

Yang briskly goes to Ruby's side and kneels down to take a look. Her nose scrunches as the sweet scent of alcohol tickles her nostrils. She turns her head towards Jaune, sending him a silent, accusatory look.

Jaune settles himself into one of the chairs and shrugs.

"I offered a cup, but she demanded more. Who would have guessed that little Ruby Rose is a glutton for good wine?" He chuckles.

"You followed her to mom's gravestone," Yang bluntly states.

"I only happened to be in the area," Jaune gives a small smile.

"Right, of course you were," she scoffs.

Jaune mentally smirks as he compares Yang's mannerisms to a certain little bird.

"You call Summer Rose mother despite having no blood relation to her," Jaune casually remarks.

Yang reaches over and brushes away some of Ruby's hair and briefly touches her forehead to take her temperature.

"She is my mom and blood has nothing to do with it," Yang says as she takes her hand away from Ruby's face. "As far as I can remember, our family has always been dad, Ruby, me, and Summer. She's the one that took care of me since birth, and was the one that was always there... until she wasn't anymore..."

Her voice grows quiet at the end, before letting out an uneven sigh.

"Summer isn't only Ruby's role model. It's why when she was no long here, I took over to take care of Ruby... and dad. Did you know that Ruby does not remember much of mom because she was so young? That's why she visits that gravestone almost religiously whenever she's back home on Patch."

Jaune regards Yang for a moment.

"So, does this mean you hold zero interest towards your biological mother?" He softly asks.

Yang averts her eyes to the side.

"... Of course I do. I have so many questions I want to ask, but have no idea where to start."

_'Besides the brief meeting with her on Beacon, I haven't seen her since. And according to Blake, a masked woman saved me from Adam at the last moment, who could've only been her...'_

She unconsciously brings her left arm up to her stump.

"Do you think you could tell me for what reason a mother might leave her newborn child?"

Jaune briefly closes his eyes.

"... Raven is a rather interesting woman, to say the least."

Yang's eyes widen.

"So you know-"

Jaune brings a hand up, stopping Yang from finishing her statement.

"I happened to meet her on the night you two briefly exchanged words on the Beacon courtyard. I know you're not stupid Yang, and that you're fully aware by this point that Raven's been keeping an eye on you and your family."

Yang faces Jaune with a pleading look.

"Then why doesn't she-"

Her voice gets caught in her throat, and she continues with a whisper.

"Why isn't she here for us like a normal family member?"

"Who knows?" Jaune sighs. "Even if I knew, it is not my place to say."

He looks at Yang with a glint in his eyes.

"Perhaps she feels just as lost as you do. You **are **blood related kin after all."

A brief silence falls between them as Yang looks away in thought.

Jaune stands up and stretches himself before walking towards the stairs.

"My advice for you is try and look beyond what is at face value."

He waves a hand in the air as he goes up the stairs to his guest room, leaving Yang alone with Ruby sleeping peacefully beside her.

***** Jaune's room *****

Jaune casually locks the doors behind him and silently taps his foot against the wooden floor, enveloping the room with his divine sense to prevent any sound from escaping.

"There's word that several of Salem's agents are finally on the move," Raven's voice sounds out from the darkness. She steps out of a dark corner into view.

Jaune calmly sits down beside a table located next to his bed.

"Anything unexpected?"

Raven lightly shakes her head before taking a seat across from Jaune.

"A scorpion Faunus known as Tyrian is en route to Anima, presumably to eliminate Huntsmen. Of course, this is assuming that Leonardo is indeed a traitor."

Jaune shrugs as he produces cups for himself and his guest.

"And what is your opinion?" He casually asks as he lays down a bottle of wine in the center of the table.

Raven picks up the cup in front of her and looks over its craftsmanship before commenting, "I've occasionally kept my eyes on the Academy headmasters. Leonardo is... not the same man I met in my younger years."

"How so?" Jaune inquires.

"Hmm... He's grown much softer as a headmaster. He's lost his touch with his warrior instincts due to being stuck in an office for decades. If you'd asked me this question a decade ago, I would confidently say that Leonardo would not dare entertain the idea of treason."

Raven raises an eyebrow towards Jaune.

"You never had a doubt, did you?"

Jaune hums to himself as he pours into Raven's outstretched cup.

"I do not know the man personally, but Salem would be a complete fool if she did not explore the possibility of turning one of Ozpin's trustees. With regards to Mistral, Leonardo is simply the most obvious and efficient choice."

He takes a small sip from his cup and watches the ripples scattering across the surface.

"And I refuse to believe that someone as long lived as her is a fool. Also, it would be best for your brother to verify what the truth is for himself."

Raven scoffs to the side.

"He's a fool of a younger brother that easily lets his emotions get the better of him."

Jaune chuckles, "A kettle calls the pot black."

Her eyebrow twitches in response to Jaune's comment. She lifts her cup and downs the contents, eyes briefly widening at the quality of the drink.

"Hmph, at this point it doesn't matter whether or not Leo's a traitor. We are operating under that assumption anyways."

"That is true," Jaune responds with a smile. "Aside from this Tyrian fellow, is there anything else of interest?"

Raven sighs, "The White Fang. The movements of a group in Vale are not necessarily lining up with the main group on Anima."

Bringing a hand up to his chin, Jaune slowly asks, "Are these movements being headed by that Adam boy responsible for Yang's injury?"

Her red eyes slightly narrow.

"No, Adam is currently on Anima by the White Fang leader's side, Sienna Khan. This splinter group in Vale seems to be led by someone related to one of the Faunus you slew that night. The majority of the members of this group are tied to that night's slaughter."

Raven smirks upon seeing a small smile on Jaune's face, though it is not one of happiness.

"You expected this as well."

Jaune pours more wine, then tiredly sighs out, "I suppose it's the same no matter where you are. With battle come grievances, and with grievances come enemies."

"So what will you do?"

He leans back on his seat to stare up into the ceiling.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" Raven gives him an intrigued look. "You're going to let them do as they please?"

"Why not? I have a feeling that Salem will desire a temporary alliance with this splinter group. So why not let her continue to cling onto the illusion of having control?"

Jaune turns his head to Raven and gives her a soothing smile.

"Besides, if they become more trouble than they're worth, then I will crush them like any other enemy."

A brief shiver runs down Raven's spine, almost feeling sorry for the White Fang group.

"If there's nothing else, I'd like to ask you something that's been on my mind for quite some time."

Raven sips her wine, gesturing with hand for Jaune to continue.

Jaune curiously leans in.

"How does your Semblance work? Are there conditions attached to your portals?"

She stares back silently as she savors the last drop in her cup.

"My portals can appear several meters from those I have a bond with. The stronger the bond, the faster the portal is created."

"That is... conveniently vague. Interesting."

Raven shrugs in response, but freezes at Jaune's next inquiry.

"What about your bond with Summer Rose?"

Her breath momentarily quickens before she catches herself.

"What about her?" She calmly responds.

"I'm just going to assume that you are unable to create a portal to anyone that is dead. So, I'm asking you, Raven Branwen, is Summer Rose dead?"

Jaune locks his gaze onto Raven's eyes, calmly observing her reactions.

"She's... she's gone," Raven whispers.

"I see... I apologize for bringing up a painful memory," Jaune slightly bows and pushes the half full bottle towards Raven. "Take the rest with you. Consider it a gift and apology for asking such a question."

Raven pushes herself up from her seat and swipes the air with her weapon, manifesting a dark red portal in the center of the room. She grabs the bottle and turns around, but pauses in her steps.

"How is she?"

Jaune looks down at the floor, seemingly gazing through it.

"She's much like you. Confused. Unsure. Wants to take the next step, yet does not know how."

Raven's eyes momentarily soften.

"And her arm. Could you heal it?"

Jaune sighs, "This is a tribulation she will have to face in order to grow."

Raven shudders before giving a small nod, then steps through her portal, leaving Jaune alone in his room.

He gets up onto his feet and walks to the room's windows, staring out to the South.

"Tomorrow should be an interesting day," he mutters to himself.


	22. Chapter 22

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY**

Jaune closes his Scroll and goes through a mental list of anything he may have forgotten to pack. Satisfied that everything is in check, he exits his room and goes down the stairs, reaching the living room. Ruby's head peeks up from the edge of the couch and emits a miserable groan.

"Hangover. Feels terrible. Did not know..."

Jaune chuckles as he arrives at her side.

"There is no one to blame but yourself and lack of self control."

Ruby loudly groans again in response. Jaune lightly grins and places a palm atop Ruby's head. Through his palm, he circulates a wisp of Vermillion Bird qi through her system, purging her fatigue and remaining alcoholic toxins.

After he lifts his hand away, Ruby's head perks up once more, but with life in her eyes. She blinks several times in silence before sitting up with a perplexed expression.

"I feel... okay now? Actually, I feel great." Ruby says in awe as she stretches her arms and legs. "What was that you just did?"

"Nothing special. Just a bit of energy," Jaune responds as he sits down beside the couch.

"Ruby, here's some water to help with your-" Yang stops mid sentence as she enters the room with a cup of water in hand. "Huh?"

Ruby playfully waves as her sister with a bright grin.

"I'm fine now. Jaune helped me out just now."

Yang decides it is best to not ask for the details and glances at Jaune with grateful look before looking back at Ruby.

"You dummy. What were you thinking drinking that much?" Yang scolds her sister.

Ruby sticks her tongue out.

"How do you two feel about going on a little field trip today?" Jaune suddenly asks.

"A field trip?" Ruby's ears instantly perk up. "To where?"

"To here," Jaune opens his Scroll and sets it down, revealing a detailed map of Mountain Glenn.

Yang sets the cup of water down and looks down at the map for a moment before recognizing what she's looking at.

"You serious?"

"This was going to happen eventually," Jaune shrugs. "There is no benefit to prolonging it. The city needs that airspace and travel grounds safe in order to receive supplies from the South."

"But why do you want us to come along? Wouldn't we just end up holding you back?" Yang asks. "Especially me."

Picking the Scroll back up and pocketing it, Jaune responds, "In terms of doing what needs to be done there, it makes no difference if I take a few others with me."

Ruby tugs Yang's sleeve.

"Yang, let's go. I want to go." She looks at Jaune. "I want to go."

"I'm curious. Why do you want to go so badly?" Jaune asks.

Ruby looks down at her hands and takes several moments to formulate a response. She looks back up at Jaune with a serious expression.

"A large part of it is curiosity. We've only heard from Pyrrha and CFVY of what happened during the chaos that night at Beacon. Personally, I want to see it with my own eyes. To expand my horizon. The smaller part is because even if you don't need us there, it's still my responsibility as an aspiring Huntress. Everyone is doing their part right now, no matter how small. And I won't just sit here at home all day. I want to help."

Jaune chuckles, "Shouldn't your priorities be switched? Well, at least you're being honest."

Ruby nervously laughs and scratches at the side of her cheek in embarrassment.

"If Ruby's going, then so am I," Yang sighs.

"Good," Jaune nods. "You two will need to let Taiyang know. Speaking of which, where is he?"

"Dad? He's been at Signal since yesterday. When Ruby and I were recovering in bed, he was allowed to stay home. But now, they need him back there."

"Well, then one of you are going to have to call his Scroll," Jaune says.

Ruby and Yang exchange a look and through some unspoken signal, they shoot hand out in front of them at the same time.

"Paper! I win!" Ruby cheers.

Muttering curses under her breath, Yang sets her Scroll onto the floor and slowly types out a message. Jaune raises an eyebrow at the entire ordeal. Within mere seconds of Yang pressing the _send_ button, her Scroll buzzes from an incoming call. Wincing, Yang nudges the Scroll further away from her before pressing the button to take the call. As soon as she does so, she turns her right ear away from the Scroll and plugs her left with a finger.

_"Mountain Glenn?! Are you girls out of your minds?!" _Taiyang's voice roars through the speakers.

_'I suppose they would know exactly how Taiyang would react to such news.'_

Jaune calmly replies, "I promise you that they won't be in any danger."

_"Jaune? Was this your idea?!"_

"Dad," Ruby calls out from the side. "We want to-... We have to go. I was the one insisting on wanting to go anyways, so don't yell at Jaune."

_"Ruby? Why would you..." _Taiyang loudly sighs. _"I-it's just... if something happened to you two again... I don't know what I would-"_

"Dad," Yang gently calls out. "We're sorry for scaring you like that, but we can't stay locked inside the house forever while everyone else is out there contributing."

_"I know that... but you're my little angels. I..."_

After a moment's pause, Taiyang shifts his tone.

_"Jaune. Keep them safe. Please."_

"That goes without question," Jaune solemnly replies.

_"Okay. Okay..." _Taiyang says, seemingly more for himself than anyone else. _"Yang. Ruby. Please be safe. I love you two."_

"Love you too dad," Yang and Ruby simultaneously reply.

His hesitation palpable in the air, Taiyang finally musters up the strength to end the call.

Jaune stands and goes towards the home's front door. As he opens it to walk outside, he says, "I'll be waiting outside. Take as much time as you need to collect yourselves and prepare."

After the door shuts, Ruby breaks the silence in the room.

"That's the first time I've ever heard dad sound so... vulnerable."

Yang quietly responds, "Well, that's because you were too young to remember."

"What?" Ruby tilts her head in confusion.

Composing herself, Yang clarifies, "After Raven left and... mom never came back, dad just sort of shut down for a while. Uncle Qrow was rarely around because of his Huntsmen duties, so it became my job to take care of the house chores and you. For dad, losing both mom and Raven was too much. Since then, even though he doesn't show it, there's a lingering fear of loss. Honestly, I don't think it will ever go away, and I would never blame him for that."

Ruby's eyes grow downcast at Yang's words.

"Sorry..."

She yelps in surprise when Yang flicks her forehead. Looking up, Yang flashes a loving smile.

"Don't be. I'd do it all again if I had to. Come on, let's get changed and ready. We shouldn't keep him waiting outside all day."

Nodding, Ruby brightly smiles back.

"Yeah, you're right."

***** Some time** **later *****

The girls walk outside to find Jaune getting off a call on his Scroll.

"Sorry we took so long. Who were you talking to?" Ruby asks curiously.

Pocking his Scroll, Jaune responds, "Pyrrha. I was intending to invite my team as well, but I've been informed that they are currently assigned to patrolling duty on the outskirts of the city. So, it looks like it will be just us three."

"Oh..."

"So, how is this going to work exactly? We're not taking an Airship to Vale first are we?"

"My personal advice is to relax and try not to flail," Jaune says as he blankets the two sisters with divine sense.

"Uh. What do you mea-" Yang yelps as she swallows her words.

Without further warning, Jaune takes flight into the sky with Ruby and Yang silently screaming beside him as they rapidly ascend. When they stop above the clouds, Yang turns to Jaune and yells with a wavering voice.

"Can you warn us next time?!"

"But it wouldn't be as entertaining," Jaune shrugs with a grin.

Unlike Yang, Ruby composes herself rather quickly and gasps at the view.

"This... is... awesome!" She squeals.

"Next stop is Mountain Glenn," Jaune says while casually standing in the air. "Try not to fall."

***** Up above Mountain Glenn *****

Jaune, Ruby, and Yang look down at the abandoned buildings covered by freshly fallen snow. The stark contrast between the gray and burnt concrete with the pure white creates a rather desolate image.

"It's so... quiet. There's not a Grimm in sight. I thought the reports said this area is crawling with Grimm." Ruby comments.

"Remember what they taught us Ruby? Grimm avoid the cold. That's why Atlas has been so prosperous. Nearly zero Grimm attacks to deal with," Yang responds.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. But then that must mean all the Grimm are..."

Jaune's eyes slightly narrow as they descend to hover several feet above the snowy grounds.

"Inside the mountain," Jaune finishes Ruby's thought. "And our little friend has been _quite_ busy."

Yang's eyes widen with realization.

"There are that many?"

"Oh, there are quite a few," Jaune smirks. "Several thousands of them easily. Basically, we're sitting on top of an anthill."

The sisters feel their skin crawl at that analogy. Jaune retrieves his Scroll and checks the map provided by Oobleck.

"Based on this map and what I'm sensing, this should be the best area to enter," he mutters.

With a wave of an arm, Crocea Mors materializes and moves in a flash around them, blowing the snow away from the concrete surface. After another quick set of cuts, the ground beneath them gets falls away, revealing the entrance into Mountain Glenn's inner caverns.

When Ruby and Yang peer down into the depths, they could swear some thing or things were staring right back up at them.

"It's uh... pretty dark down there," Yang comments.

With a light snort, Jaune procures a fire Dust crystal from his ring and quickly refines it. The purified energy of fire condenses into a tiny orb and floats to a position right above Jaune's head, brightly illuminating the area around them.

"In we go," Jaune announces, and slowly, the three descend into the depths.

Against the black canvas of the darkness, the light radiating from Jaune's orb of fire shines like a sinking lonely star. Hissing and growling surround them in the darkness as they descend. Ruby and Yang can see nothing past the radius of Jaune's light, and nothing enters its vicinity either. After several minutes pass of nothing noteworthy happening, the noises simply become background noise, and Ruby and Yang release some of the tension within their bodies. Meanwhile Jaune behaves as if these noises never existed at all.

Ruby's eyes peer up above Jaune's head, towards the orb, with curiosity.

"I've never heard of this kind of Dust application from Weiss, and believe me, she talks a _lot_ about Dust."

Jaune wills the orb to float down at Ruby's chest level.

"Put your hands out."

Though with some hesitation, Ruby holds her hands out like a cup, and the orb nestles itself onto Ruby's hands. Ruby's eyes widen as she registers the sensations she feels emanating from the miniature sun-like object within her petite hands.

"It's warm," she quietly exclaims. "And pulsating almost like a heartbeat. It's like it's alive!"

Yang leans over and places her hand over the orb, confirming Ruby's observations. She looks at Jaune with an incredulous expression.

"Why isn't it hot? Shouldn't fire be burning? This thing is barely above room temperature."

"That is a misconception of those who do not understand the profound mysteries of the universe, and quite understandably so. Fire is often called the breath of life. Like life, it can be wild, controlled, and destructive. While on the flip-side, it can also be a source of comfort, warmth, and guidance," Jaune preaches.

"This extreme destructive nature of fire is why most find the truth counter-intuitive. Both aspects of fire are equally truth. Keep in mind that balance governs all. Yin and Yang."

Jaune snaps his fingers, and the orb lifts away from Ruby's hands to return to its original position above his head.

"Achieving something like this is nothing special once you comprehend the truth."

"You're talking about the Dao? In this case it's fire?" Yang asks.

Jaune nods in confirmation.

"Correct."

Distracted by Jaune's demonstration and brief lecture, Ruby and Yang fail to notice that the hissing and growling around them had completely disappeared, leaving them in deafening silence on their descent downwards. After several minutes, they finally reach solid ground.

"I wonder where all the Grimm are," Ruby ponders. "They should be swarming at us by now right?"

From the darkness, a flash of silver streaks through the air, revealing itself to be Crocea Mors. It hums and purrs excitedly while circling around its master.

"Mmm yes, you did very well," Jaune says as he strokes the blade with a finger. Seemingly ecstatic from the praise, Crocea Mors hums louder than before and almost seems to glow.

Yang looks around. "Wait... it's quiet. And from what you just said to your sword, that means... you took care of the Grimm on the way down? All of them?"

"A simple matter," Jaune casually says. "If fodder such as those gave me issues, then we may as well forfeit this expedition."

Taking his Scroll out, Jaune studies the map to verify their relative position.

"We have quite the distance to walk." He says, putting the Scroll away.

The slightly damp earth rock beneath them crunches and echoes against the walls as they walk through the winding caverns and tunnels. Yang and Ruby glance at each other, noting that Jaune's footsteps are completely silent. Occasionally, Crocea Mors blurs out of vision to strike into the darkness.

As this happens, Ruby eyes Crocea Mors with increasing awe and the slightest hint of envy.

_'Imagine how amazing Crescent Rose would be if she could fly around like that!'_

A glint flashes across Jaune's eyes.

A Beowolf suddenly lunges out from the darkness. Yang and Ruby immediately react with Yang activating Ember Celica and firing a shell at it, albeit clumsily, while Ruby lunges forward with Crescent Rose and cuts it in half.

After looking around for additional movement in alert, the two sisters simultaneously turn towards Jaune with an accusatory look.

"Oops, I must have missed one," Jaune apologizes with a shrug.

Both girls' eyebrows twitch before shaking their heads.

_'They are still mindful of their surroundings. Good.'_

Something catches Jaune's attention, causing him to pause. He brings out the map, then looks into a particular direction.

"How intriguing."

"What's wrong?" Ruby asks.

"I suppose a small detour wouldn't hurt," he chuckles.

Ruby tilts her head before exchanging a look with her sister, who shrugs in response.

Switching directions, the trio walk through a smaller tunnel until they arrive at a dead end. Jaune reaches out and presses his hand into an indent in the wall. With a muted click, the wall rumbles as it slowly rotates away, revealing a hidden entrance.

After they walk in, the hidden door behind them rotates back into place and several lights along the cave ceiling flicker on, dimly illuminating the space. Various metal pipes line the walls, leading into machinery and large broken glass chambers of unknown purpose(s).

"Woah... What is this place?" Yang asks. "Obviously some kind of lab, but for what purpose?"

Ruby walks up to one of the terminals covered in a thick layer of dust. As she attempts to clear the dust away with her hands, she accidentally presses a button, switching the screen on.

Yang and Jaune walk up behind Ruby and read the black and white text flickering on the screen.

"In the depths of the abyss, I seek salvation," Yang reads aloud.

"That's a little disturbing," Ruby whispers.

Jaune scans the vicinity with his mind, then walks over to a corner with a lone bookshelf. A tendril of his divine sense reaches out and slides out a thin, nondescript notebook from among the various scientific textbooks populating the shelves. He quickly flips through the book, absorbing the knowledge within at inhuman speed and efficiency. A natural consequence of cultivation.

"What's that?" Yang asks, as the two sisters approach.

Jaune tosses the book towards Yang.

"Take a look."

Swiftly catching with her left hand, Yang places the notebook down onto a nearby table.

"No title or author. Weird," Yang says before opening the cover.

_"The settlement project is underway. Significant progress is made daily, and more arrivals, both settlers and developers, each following week. That is to be expected, as massive amounts of resources and effort are being invested by the Kingdom of Vale. I was brought on by the Council due to my technical expertise, and my extensive anthropological knowledge of the Grimm. Those Huntsmen and Huntresses know how to kill them, but can they claim that they truly **understand **them on the same level as I?"_

Intrigued, Yang flips to the next page.

_"The behavior of the Grimm in these mountains is quite peculiar, though not blatantly obvious. Often times, their typical tendencies seem suppressed, and they act almost... mechanical. I wonder why that is? Unfortunately, the Council and the Huntsmen/Huntresses do not seem to care or agree, as to them, the Grimm are simply the Grimm. Fools, the lot of them."_

_"When I'd first heard of this experimental settlement in Mountain Glenn, I built this laboratory in advance to keep it secret. It was not easy and took quite a bit of time, but it is immensely rewarding. Some of the Grimm experiments I've been conducting would likely be seen as quite distasteful by the general public and the Council, despite my significant discoveries. In particular, the one I must keep this hidden from at all costs is Ozpin. Perhaps it is due to my extensive experience in observing the subtleties of the Grimm, but that man is... odd."_

"This person knows Professor Ozpin," Ruby gasps.

"More importantly than that," Yang's eyebrows raise. "Distasteful experiments on Grimm?"

_"It is a massively common misconception that the Grimm are mindless monsters. This is unequivocally false. This misconception comes from the fact that the vast majority of the Grimm encountered by the general public are young. Would it be logical to claim that based on a human or Faunus infant alone, that both races are helpless bumbling sacks of flesh? Of course not. I have proposed my thesis multiple times to the Council and various academy boards, but it is never taken as seriously as I'd like it to be. The only other ones who know this to be true are the veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses who have ventured into deep Grimm territory. Unfortunately, they are either dead or too busy with their duties to validate my theory. The evidence is clear using old Goliaths as an example. They are undoubtedly fierce, but they practice caution and patience, something you would not see with the younger ones. They **learned**. This fact both terrifies and excites me."_

"Doctor Oobleck said the same thing about Goliaths the last time we were up here on Mountain Glenn," Ruby says with a finger on her chin. "Maybe after Mountain Glenn's settlement failed, this view became more widespread?"

_"The path that humanity must take becomes clearer with every new discovery and experiment. It is clear to me that this stalemate with the Grimm can not last forever. Their numbers never seem to dwindle, and while humanity deals with the young Grimm with ease, this just gives the older ones more time to grow. They are akin to a force of nature. Thus, a thought crossed my mind one day. Can we use the Grimm as a weapon against themselves? Would it be possible to control them in some way to ensure our survival? I have a few ideas in mind for future experiments to verify this hypothesis."_

"Okay, this is starting to sound a bit crazy," Yang says looking a bit disturbed.

_"There is finally some minor success. I've managed to alter a Grimm's appearance, though incredibly minor, without it dying in the process. Though... the specimen did not survive for very long, and it was just as bloodthirsty as any other Grimm. However, this is a big first step and supporting evidence that humanity can manipulate the Grimm for our needs."_

_"Out of curiosity, I'd isolated a drop of Grimm tar and diluted it into a solution of sorts before using it as nutrients for a small potted flower commonly found on these Mountains. To my surprise, the plant did not die, but mutated rather significantly. Razor sharp black thorns sprouted along its stem, and the overall color of the plant turned a dark purple. The pistil of the flower had opened up and gained a much more... carnivorous appearance. I was able to feed it small rodents and insects. Unfortunately, the plant's lifespan was rather short, but longer than the Grimm I had altered in the past."_

"You know that sinking feeling in your stomach when you watch a horror movie?" Yang rhetorically asks.

Ruby nods, her face paling.

_"The modified Grimm are uncontrollable and die quickly, but the experiment with that flower has made it clear on what the correct path is. Rather than modify existing Grimm, there is much more promise in merging Grimm with other lifeforms to create hybrids. Over time, the method will become refined, and that should resolve the issue of the resulting hybrid's short lifespan. If the lifeform in question were to be intelligent, what would the result be? If I recall, there was a recent string of murders committed in the settlement. As luck would have it, the murderer was caught and sentenced to death."_

"Oh gods, I can already see where this is going," Yang sucks in a breath of cold air. She takes a minute to compose herself and turns the page, nearing the end of the journal.

_"My activities have been discovered and they are coming for me. I was too careless and frequent in sneaking out the experimental candidates. If the Council had only heeded my knowledge more seriously, I would not have gone to these extremes. But my conscience is clear. They were all murderers or worse destined for death. Thanks to them, I have made significant strides in the refining process of creating the hybrids, and it is only a matter of time before I perfect the method. My discoveries are the pathway for humanity's next step in its evolution. What a shame that I must leave my precious laboratory behind, and I hope that whoever discovers this place can understand the reasons for my actions." - Doctor Victor Merlot_

With a shudder, Yang shuts the book closed.

"This person... Merlot..." Ruby starts.

"He's sick in the head," Yang finishes. "He experimented on people, criminals or not, it doesn't matter."

"Do you think Merlot is still out there somewhere? Alive?" Ruby asks with wide eyes. "What if he's... doing that stuff to more people? Shouldn't someone stop him?"

Jaune leans over and lightly flicks Ruby and Yang on their heads, causing them to yelp in surprise.

"Stop overthinking," Jaune lightly smiles. "Focus on what you can do now."

Holding a hand over her nose, Ruby responds, "I know... but still..."

"If he's out there, he needs to be stopped," Yang asserts. "He's insane."

"Perhaps," Jaune muses. "But there is no doubt that he is also brilliant."

The mountain suddenly rumbles due to a roar coming from the depths. Dust and pebbles rain from the cave ceiling.

Jaune waves his hand over Merlot's diary, storing it within his storage ring. He does the same to the remaining textbooks on the bookshelf. Though from his initial scan, that diary was the most interesting, he's sure that Glynda and Oobleck would appreciate him bringing this collection.

"It's time to go," Jaune expels the dust from their clothing.

***** Vale *****

"Jaune is out there having fun in Mountain Glenn, while we're stuck here patrolling the city," Nora groans.

"Nora, I don't think Jaune went to Mountain Glenn specifically to have fun," Ren sighs.

"Well I didn't say that he went there to have fun. I said he's out there _having_ fun. There's a difference," Nora explains.

Ren shakes his head in response.

"In either case, everyone is in the dark with regards to that Wyvern and the abnormal number of Grimm sighted in that area. Jaune is there to hopefully solve that problem or find some answers."

"So far, nothing has ever seemed to catch him by surprise. I'm sure that he will be fine. Yang and Ruby will be there to keep him under check," Pyrrha jokingly adds.

"Uuugh, and we're stuck out here in the outskirts of Vale. The streets and buildings are empty, and there are no people. It's so depressing!" Nora exasperatedly declares.

"Professor Goodwitch assigned us out here on purpose," Ren calmly replies. "Like it or not, we are rather high profile individuals due to the recent Tournament. Especially Pyrrha."

Pyrrha chuckles apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah... I know..." Nora sighs. "Could I at least get some Grimm to hit though? Is that too much to ask?"

As if responding to Nora's provocation, a few dozen Ursa crash through a decaying building wall.

"Yes!" Nora gains a maniacal gleam in her eyes and unfolds Magnhild.

"We've been teammates for a while," Ren blankly says to Pyrrha as he gets into fighting stance. "But still, I am very sorry about Nora."

Pyrrha lightly laughs as she readies her own weapons.

***** Mountain Glenn *****

The three continue through a tunnel until it ends as a platform jutting out above an enormous underground chamber. Jaune puts a finger up to his lips.

"Stay close to me and avoid making any noise."

As they silently approach the edge of the platform, Jaune greatly dims the orb above his head and sends it out towards the center of the cavern's ceiling. Once it reaches its destination, the orb disperses like mist, spreading its dim light throughout the entirety of the chamber.

As Ruby's and Yang's eyes adjust, they look over the edge and see the monstrously sized Wyvern slumbering near a large tunnel. During that night, neither girls had gotten a clear view the creature. But now, witnessing its sheer size causes their breathes to catch. Then, they notice that the Wyvern Grimm is not the only thing the grounds below.

Countless blobs of ichor are littered across the cavern floor, each rippling and pulsating across their surfaces in sync whenever the Wyvern takes a breath.

Ruby whispers, "Those things turned into Grimm when they fell from the sky. There must be hundreds... thousands of them down there!"

"Remember that I said that this place is akin to an anthill?"

His eyes slightly narrow as he observes the beast.

"Most of the wing's regrown..."

_"I wonder if regeneration is a universal trait for the Grimm, or if it is exclusive to certain species? I'd bet that one of Merlot's books contains that information. I'll have to peruse through them before handing them off to Glynda and Oobleck."_

With the wave of his hand, several hard light Dust crystals emerge from his storage ring, and Jaune quickly extracts their energy. He expands it while injecting wisps of Black Tortoise qi, forming a transparent barrier around the platform.

Jaune grabs his scabbard from his back and expands it into his shield.

"Stay inside. This won't take long," Jaune instructs.

He hops off the edge of the platform and falls several hundred meters to gracefully land on the ground. Jaune intentionally emits his killing intent, causing the Wyvern's eyes to snap open in alarm. Its head swerves from side to side, scanning the room, until it locks onto the intruder responsible for disturbing it. The Wyvern instantly recognizes Jaune and viciously hisses at him. In response, the blobs of ichor throughout the room ripple and burst open, spawning various types of Grimm.

The Wyvern bellows out a roar, commanding its minions to tear Jaune apart. Up on the platform, Ruby and Yang keep their eyes locked on the scene. From their perspective, it looks like an ant being swarmed by thousands of other ants from all sides, and the thought of them being in that position brings sweat upon their brows.

Crocea Mors, hovering in the air beside him, hums with intense sword intent. It suddenly accelerates to a speed faster than the eye can see. Any and all Grimm that gets within 5 feet from Jaune instantly turns to dust.

Seeing this, the Wyvern angrily growls and reels its head back. Its chest expands before quickly contracting, releasing a ball of black flame towards Jaune.

In response, Jaune grabs Crocea Mors from the air and fiercely slashes downward towards the incoming ball of flame with sword intent infused with White Tiger qi. The invisible blade cuts the Wyvern's fireball in half at a distance, roaring past Jaune's sides and incinerating the Grimm unfortunate enough to be in their paths.

He blurs into motion, narrowly dodging the Wyvern's tail swinging down towards his head, before swinging at the offending limb with his blade. Having learnt from its previous encounter with Jaune, the Wyvern quickly moves its tail away after its swing, but fails to dodge completely unscathed as Jaune's weapon cleaves through a quarter of the tail's width, spraying black ichor across the ground.

Roaring in rage, the Wyvern retreats backwards and breathes out wave of black flame. Jaune extracts several fire Dust crystals from his storage and extracts their energy. With a push of his palm, an equally intense wave of red flame meets the black, cancelling it out. Jaune smirks at the Wyvern, taunting it.

Thoroughly enraged by this inferior lifeform daring to use fire, it rumbles deeply in its throat before slamming its limbs and tail into the rock below it. Jaune's eyes narrow, but he does not move and opts to observe his foe's next actions.

Sensing that the Wyvern is winding up for a devastating attack, Jaune presses the mechanism on his shield, dispersing it into dozens of blades into the air. With Crocea Mors as its core, Jaune manipulates the blades with his divine sense and qi to form an intricate sword array around him.

Like petals flowing with a spring breeze, the blades slowly orbit Jaune in various angles and distances. Through some invisible command sent by the Wyvern, the surrounding Grimm continue their assault with greater fervor, clawing over each other in order to reach Jaune. He completely disregards the stampeding Grimm and keeps his gaze locked onto the Wyvern, while his sword array expands outwards like a balloon and the blades accelerate into motion.

The Wyvern's neck rotates 90 degrees such that the top of its head is parallel to the ground. It's jaw begins to open with loud cracks piercing through the howls and snarls of the Grimm trying to attack Jaune. The teeth lining the side of its throat begin to slowly separate, revealing that its true mouth to be the entire length of its neck. Opening up to a comical width, the insides of its throat are now exposed to the air, lined with countless pore like protrusions that drip a caustic black liquid.

From above, Ruby and Yang look down in horror at the monstrosity.

A massive volume of air begins to suck through the throat's epicenter, swelling its ribbed chest. A thick red glow increases in intensity from within the Wyvern's throat. In the meantime, Jaune silently rotates a large quantity of Black Tortoise qi from his dantian, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he condenses the qi to his absolute limit.

The Wyvern's chest suddenly contracts with such intensity a sonic boom reverberates throughout the immense cavern, ringing Ruby's and Yang's ears. The built up energy and heat bursts outwards, while the throat protrusions all spray their caustic liquid into a singular point. As a result, a highly concentrated beam of pitch black flame heads straight towards Jaune.

Jaune brings his sword array in and fully imbues it and Crocea Mors with his Black Tortoise qi. Without hesitation or fear, he swings Crocea Mors out with its flat side meeting the Wyvern's attack, a dark blue energy emanating out from his blade and array.

A deafening explosion shakes the mountain walls, while on the platform, Yang and Ruby clutch onto each other in order to keep their balance. An odd mixture of intense heat and bone chilling cold washes over them.

After what seems like a lifetime, a calm takes over the cavern, and the two sisters peer back down at the scene. Down on the chamber's ground, Jaune's vicinity is covered in permafrost and icicles, while the area beyond that has been scorched black with smoldering remains of Grimm disintegrating into the air. For a moment, the two sisters could swear to have seen a massive apparition of a ferocious looking turtle enveloping Jaune's figure within the chilly mist.

Jaune lets out a deep breath. Save for some of his clothing, he is completely unharmed. On the opposing side of the arena, the Wyvern's gaping throat snaps shut and sags onto the ground, clearly fatigued by its attack. Upon seeing that Jaune is alive and well, it lets out a mixture of a whimper, hiss, and snarl. It is at this point it finally understands. There was never a chance against this being. It is a monster wearing the skin of those other inferior weaklings.

Mustering up its strength, it pushes itself up onto its legs and attempts to turn around towards the large tunnel behind it, only for it to be stopped by an immense pressure coming down onto its snout. With an indignant screech, it involuntarily collapses onto the ground.

Jaune notices the Wyvern's intent on fleeing and immediately jumps into action, vanishing into the air and landing on top of its snout. Out of sheer desperation, the Wyvern flails its limbs and torso in an attempt to throw him off, but Jaune remains standing, completely stable and unperturbed. Its eyes look up, seeing that Jaune is lifting his arm up with Crocea Mors in hand, beginning to glow an intense silver white. Tendrils of miniature lightning snakes along the surface of the blade.

Another high pitched screech emits from its clamped jaw, and the Wyvern flails with increased intensity. As the air grows sharp enough to prick the skin of anyone near his vicinity, Jaune swings his weapon down, straight into the center of the Wyvern's massive skull. Like a hot knife through butter, Crocea Mors embeds itself down to the hilt, and like a poison, the White Tiger qi courses through the Wyvern's body like lightning, ravaging and grinding its innards to dust. Without another sound, the Wyvern goes rigid and its eyes roll back towards the back of its skull.

Jaune pulls Crocea Mors out of the corpse and releases another heavy breath before sitting cross-legged midair. He closes his eyes to focus on the energy he expended during that fight, guiding the experience and fatigue into stabilizing his cultivation state. In the end, putting oneself under pressure in a life or death situation is the best method of tempering the foundation. This is the reason for why Jaune had went through the trouble of allowing the Wyvern enough time to prepare its final attack. A deep sense of comfort washes through his bones and nerves as he completes his stabilization.

Standing up, he waves his arm, dispelling his sword array and reforming his shield. Dismissing Crocea Mors, Jaune flies up to the platform and enters the hard light barrier.

"I-is it over?"

What had the two sisters just witnessed? Yang audibly gulps, thinking back to that night at Beacon. If this Wyvern was taking things seriously, at least half of Beacon would have been reduced to ash. She glances to the side at Ruby, who returns an identical incredulous look.

Silver and lilac eyes silently track Jaune as he lands within the barrier and sits across from them while producing a medium sized plant Dust crystal above his hands. Without saying a word to them, he closes his eyes, entering a state of meditation.

_'Just what was he up to now?' _The sisters think to themselves. Recognizing that Jaune had intentionally come up to the platform to avoid being disturbed by any straggling Grimm down below, they sit in silence and observe.

_'The Azure Dragon. It is the head of the Four Symbols and resides in the East, The embodiment of wood and Spring. Its seven mansions are the Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Basket.'_

_'Through its sigil and qi, my speed will exponentially increase, both in movement and attacks.'_

Extracting the plant Dust energy, Jaune traces out the lengthy body of the Azure Dragon. Its majestic scales begin to shine and the two whiskers trail alongside its body. As the sigil comes to life, it does not roar, hiss, or cry, but turns its head to look directly into Jaune's eyes in silence, as if judging his worth.

Seemingly satisfied, the Azure Dragon gracefully spirals through the space and embeds itself into the right side of the Paifang of its own accord. Giving a final look at its creator from within the Paifang, it emits a deep rumble from its throat and closes its eyes to slumber.

_'A perfect balance of Yin and Yang, and the foundation has finally been set.'_

Jaune mentally smiles in satisfaction.

_'Though I am technically Xiantian, an average Nascent Soul level of fighter would find it very difficult against me.'_

He concentrates on his dantian, watching the transformation happening within. Surrounding his foundation establishment pillar, four additional pillars rise up from the void in the cardinal directions.

The Northern pillar is composed of transparent dark blue ice crystal. The surface simultaneously ripples like water, but holds a defined shape and angles. Chilly mist permeates and coats the surface.

The Southern pillar is red-white flame, but the heat radiating from it is no warmer than a Summer wind. A sense of comfort permeates through the heart when near this pillar.

The Western pillar is a metallic black steel rod. It emits a constant feeling of sharpness and oppression. One standing near it would feel sharp pricks along their skin. The occasional bolt of lighting and thunder snake across its surface.

The Eastern pillar is the massive trunk of a tree. From its bark, flora and fauna sprout. As if bearing the weight of the world, the pillar stands tall and proud.

Jaune opens his eyes and breathes out. A warm wave washes over Ruby and Yang as he does so, and though there is nothing physically different about him, they could sense that the air about him was somehow fundamentally different.

"So, this had been a good trip so far," Jaune attempts to break the silence.

"..."

Yang and Ruby are unable to respond, currently rendered speechless by the events that'd occurred within the last few minutes.

Pinching her temple, Yang mutters, "This is way beyond my head. I don't care how good any Huntsmen or Huntresses are. If they went up against that thing, I know where I'd bet my Lien..."

"And you basically toyed with that thing. Compared to you, we're practically ants!" She says frantically.

"Yang," Ruby tries to console her sister. "Calm down. You know we expected to see something crazy when we came."

Yang shuts her eyes and deeply sighs, "I know... But seeing it is completely different from hearing about it."

Her eyes regain some calm.

"What is stopping you from going directly to Salem and fighting her? Based on what you just did to that Grimm, is all of this scheming and planning even necessary?"

Taking a moment to think, Jaune recites, "Tall trees will inevitably attract the wind. It is not uncommon for a mantis to stalk a cicada, unaware of the oriole close behind."

Yang and Ruby mentally repeat Jaune's words, trying to decipher the point he's trying to get across.

After a moment, Ruby slowly asks, "You think... that there could be a bigger threat than Salem?"

"Yeah... seriously?" Yang looks incredibly skeptical.

"Hidden dangers are called _hidden_ for a reason," Jaune quips. "If I know all of the forces involved, and Salem's relative strength, then resolving this on my own through sheer force is an option. However, even then, that may not be the best path to take."

"Why would you opt for another plan if, hypothetically, you were confident enough to go out there and take care of Salem and any other dangers?" Ruby asks.

"Because in the long term, it would be detrimental for everyone to rely on me as crutch. Despite this entire situation being rather precarious, it is a journey that all of you must go through."

"I don't know if I fully understand..."

"He means to say that even if it's dangerous, there are valuable lessons we can learn from them," Yang explains to Ruby.

"So ultimately, it would be for our benefit?"

Jaune nods, "Yes, so please don't blame me too much for what's about to happen next Ruby."

"Huh?"

Ruby feels a sudden sensation of weightlessness.

"Wait... Wait wait wait," Ruby stammers.

"Always remember that your Semblance is your greatest asset," Jaune advises with a light smile. Without warning, he tosses her over the edge of the platform, down to the chamber grounds still littered with Grimm.

"What are you doing?!" Yang yells before grabbing Jaune's collar.

Gently prying her hand away, Jaune responds, "Some tough love. She'll be fine. Physically at least."

Yang glares at Jaune for a moment before turning around to watch Ruby's fall.

"At least she'll be able to land safely with Crescent Rose," she sighs.

Jaune clears his throat, getting Yang to turn back towards him. Her lilac eyes widen, seeing Crescent Rose hovering above Jaune's palm.

"Uh... is that..."

"This is an excellent opportunity for Ruby to explore the limits of her Semblance. What better way than to simulate a life or death situation? If she is unable to resolve it on her own, I will intervene." Jaune calmly explains. "Look, she's realized that Crescent Rose is not with her. I want to see how she'll deal with this."

"Stupid. Crazy. Cultivator logic... Better not throw me off over the side," Yang mutters under her breath as she observes.

After her momentary panic, Ruby collects herself and reaches behind her back to grab Crescent Rose.

_'No problem. This is just like when we got launched on initiation day. Only a much bigger fall. Yup, no problem at all-'_

She freezes when she does not feel Crescent Rose in her usual spot on her back. Eyes wide, Ruby brings her other arm back and frantically pats the area down, finding zero evidence of her precious weapon.

_'What?! I know I had Crescent Rose on me! It was there the whole time, when did it-... Jaune! When did he take it?!'_

With the ground quickly approaching, her mind races at light speed.

_'What do I do? What do I do? ... Wait. What did Jaune say right before he threw me down? Something about my Semblance? My Semblance...'_

Ruby's breathing slows, and the world around her comes to a crawl and goes silent. Her mind instinctively enters into a trance.

_'A Semblance is an intimate part of everyone who's unlocked their Aura. Just like how I don't actively think when breathing, using a Semblance should be the same... When flying, Jaune doesn't seem to be concentrating on that action at all, like it's completely natural to him. If he can do that with something he'd gained through cultivation, shouldn't I be able to do the same with something I was born with?'_

From above, Jaune lets out a satisfactory smile. Ruby suddenly bursts into a cloud of rose petals for a split second, which ends up cancelling out the momentum and velocity of her long fall. The rose petals quickly reform into Ruby, who tumbles onto the ground, dazed but uninjured.

Yang lets out a breath she had been unknowingly holding. From her eye's peripheral, she notices that Jaune's hand is slightly raised.

"Did you slow her fall?"

"Didn't I tell you that she'd be fine? It would not be a very good learning experience if she were to be mangled from crashing into the ground at terminal velocity, Aura protection or not. _I_ would know from personal experience."

"Ah..." Yang grimaces at the mental image. "Right."

_'What was that I just did? It felt so foreign, but also... natural? Was that the sensation of my Semblance?'_

Ruby picks herself up from the ground, finding herself encircled by a mixture of Ursa, Beowolves, and Creeps. Steeling herself, she dashes into a sprint, swiftly weaving through the Grimm using her small frame to her advantage. With practiced precision, she darts through openings under the Beowolves' and Ursas' arms when they swing, and she sharply pivots on her heels whenever it is necessary to switch directions.

Within a few short moments, she breaks through the encirclement and runs towards one the closest wall, in order to create distance and to prevent any surprise attacks from her rear. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Ruby reaches down and grabs a small dagger strapped to her thigh.

"So she took my advice seriously and prepared a backup weapon," Jaune muses. "I expected something a bit more flashy, than just a simple dagger."

"Apparently she said Crescent Rose would get jealous," Yang blankly says.

Ruby rolls away, narrowly dodging an Ursa paw slamming down into the ground, creating a miniature crater due to the force of its blow. From her roll, she jumps up to avoid a Creep's jaw snapping at her legs. Kicking off the Creep's head, she clumsily stabs the Ursa in the eye, before dashing away to recover her distance. Small beads of sweat begin to form on her face.

_'My stamina is starting to run low, and they're slowly adjusting to my movements.'_

Distracted by her thoughts, Ruby fails to notice a Beowolf that had been slowly stalking her for the past several minutes. Seeing an opportunity, it lunges out from Ruby's blind spot with thick globules of saliva trailing along its open jaw.

_'Oh no!' _Ruby thinks frantically, when she finally notices the ambush. _'I won't be able to dodge in time!'_

_'Kill it!' _Her mind screams.

Against all good reasoning, Ruby dashes forward at the ambushing Beowolf with dagger in hand.

The world comes to a crawl once again, and this time, Ruby recognizes the sensation. Feeling abnormally calm, she calculates her plan of attack.

_'Behind. Cut its legs, then finish it off.'_

The world before her eyes blur along the edges and turn gray. The sensation of her feet running against the ground vanishes, and her motion transitions into a glide, similar to how one would feel in a lucid dream. Through pure instinct, Ruby senses her entire being flow past over the Beowolf's shoulder, like a stream. When she lands behind the Grimm, the world snaps back into color at normal speed.

Ruby crudely slashes across the back of the Beowolf's knee caps, causing it to collapse onto its torso. She promptly jumps onto its back to ram the dagger through the back of its skull, killing it. She brings her dagger up to a defensive pose, glancing from left to right at the Grimm surrounding her. Her breathing is noticeably labored, and her hair sticks to her forehead due to perspiration.

"She actually did it," Yang says in awe.

Ruby visibly trembles for a moment from sudden fatigue and adrenaline wearing off. Due to the failed ambush, the remaining Grimm keep some distance away as they surround her, biding their time for an opportune moment. With resolve, Ruby tightly grips her dagger.

_'Because I've always used my Semblance in short, momentary bursts, my Aura capacity is low compared to others... I just never noticed in the past because I was not fully utilizing my Semblance.' _Ruby thinks to herself in frustration.

One of the less patient Ursa breaks the encirclement and charges at Ruby, who jumps back to avoid the paw swipe. Upon noticing that their prey did not use that strange ability to dispatch that Ursa, the other Grimm begin to shorten their distance with regained confidence.

Up from above, Jaune releases a sigh, "As expected, her Aura reserve is quite limited, and I suspect Ruby has realized it as well."

"Well, she's never really used her Semblance much in fighting compared to most others," Yang responds.

"Her fighting style with an oversized scythe also factors into the delayed growth of her Semblance."

Yang raises an eyebrow at this observation.

"What do you mean?

"You have just seen a momentary glimpse of Ruby's Semblance. For an instant, she was able to disperse her physical form into a nearly intangible substance that can travel freely through the air. Imagine what she could potentially do once that time frame is greatly extended through training."

"I guess I had't thought about it to that extent yet. But that doesn't answer on why you're implying Crescent Rose is not a good match for Ruby's Semblance."

"Hmm. I would not necessarily say that it is not a good match, but rather an unconventional one."

Jaune's voice gains a softer tone as he continues, "In the cultivation world, someone with abilities similar to Ruby would have been trained quite differently."

"Which would be?"

"Without a doubt, the path of an assassin."

_'!?'_

Yang's jaw drops and her eyes widen with shock.

_'Ruby? Well suited to being a professional murderer?!'_

Jaune continues, "In a way, I am actually quite relieved that Ruby's personality and heart would prevent this from ever becoming a reality. I'm only stating this partly for educational purposes and that it is quite intriguing. So, let's just keep this between us?"

Yang slowly nods, still unable to utter any words.

"Keep in mind that I said her current fighting style is unconventional. There are certain minor changes that can be made, while accommodating her preference for the scythe."

With a nervous laugh, Yang sighs in relief.

"I nearly got a heart attack. Ruby? A professional killer? She couldn't even hurt a puppy."

"I'll admit that even I am having a difficult time imagining her as such a thing," Jaune chuckles.

Meanwhile, Ruby is forced to fully activate her Semblance once more in order to escape. Upon reforming from the stream of petals alongside the wall, she falls onto a knee in utter exhaustion and takes deep breaths.

Jaune's eyes narrow as he notices a sudden anomaly.

Several yards from Ruby's location, a spider Grimm about the size of a small dog, peaks its head out from its burrow. Locking onto the intruder and on high alert from the recent events, it spits out an invisible gas towards Ruby. When she unknowingly inhales the foreign substance, the effects are immediate.

The fatigued, yet resolute eyes of Ruby quickly transform to ones of horror, and she involuntarily drops her weapon onto the ground. Her breath quickens and small tears begin to stream down her face, before suddenly letting out a scream at the top of her lungs. Behaving disorientated and in a craze, Ruby clutches her head as her eyes glow bright, radiating unnaturally bright light towards the approaching Grimm. Disproportionately large wings of translucent silver burst out from the corners of her eyes and lashes out at the Grimm, instantly turning them to dust.

"Ruby!" Yang screams in alarm and looks to her side at Jaune for help, but finds the area empty. As soon as Ruby had begun to scream, Jaune had already sprung into action.

As quickly as they'd appeared, the wings of light retreat back into Ruby's eyes, and she falls to her side, only to be caught by Jaune who'd just arrived. Pointing his finger, Jaune encircles the spider Grimm onto the ground with a net of divine sense. He gently places a palm over Ruby's head and circulates Vermillion Bird qi, causing her eyes to stir. Tenderly picking her up, he flies back up to the platform with the spider and Ruby's weapon in tow behind him.

As he softly lands beside Yang, Ruby's eyes flutter open with confusion.

"Wh-what happened?" She moans in a pained voice.

Yang rushes forward and embraces Ruby.

"Are you hurting anywhere? Do you feel alright?" She rapidly asks.

"My head just really hurts," Ruby groans. "And exhausted."

Yang's head swivels and locks onto Jaune with a tight glare. She looks as if she is about to say something, but grits her teeth, swallowing her words. Deep down, she knows that blaming him would help no one.

"What happened down there?" She asks Jaune after taking a breath to calm herself. "What was that she did with her eyes?"

A frown mars Jaune's face as he observes the aftermath down below.

_'That light...'_

Jaune kneels down in front of Ruby and gently clasps the sides of her head and stares directly into her eyes.

"Take calm breaths and relax," Jaune instructs as he carefully probes her with a wisp of divine sense.

As soon he touches upon her soul and spirit, Jaune's frown deepens as he pulls his hands away, but not before circulating a small stream of Vermillion Bird qi into Ruby.

Noticing his uncharacteristic expression, Yang asks nervously, "Is something wrong?"

After a moment of silence, Jaune slowly asks, "What do you remember before you fell unconscious?"

Ruby's eyes widen slightly and her body trembles.

With her eyes cast downward, she whispers, "I... remember getting away from the Grimm using my Semblance, and felt really tired. I saw them converging onto my location. Then they all suddenly disappeared, and the scenery in front of me changed."

She takes a stuttered breath in an attempt to calm herself.

"In front of me was... Yang... Weiss... and Blake. There was... there was so much blood. I didn't know what to do. Then, I was standing on a hill and I saw mom," Ruby's lips quiver.

"Her face was so pale, and she was so still, laying there on the ground... Next thing I know, my head started to really hurt and everything went white. Then I woke up here," she concludes in a low voice.

Yang, face paling from Ruby's description, tries to find some sort of silver lining.

"Well... at least whatever you did with your eyes destroyed all of those Grimm..."

Jaune shakes his head.

"If at all possible, Ruby must prevent a similar event from happening in the future."

"My eyes?" Ruby asks, before looking down thoughtfully.

"When I first regained consciousness after the attack on Beacon, Uncle Qrow mentioned something about my eyes. That I did something that night too and that they're special. He said that mom had the same eyes and power..."

_'This must have happened while I was still bedridden...'_

"He said that those with silver eyes have always been destined to become great warriors. So, shouldn't I try to learn how to control this power instead of avoiding it? Wouldn't I be of more help that way?" Ruby asks.

"For your own benefit and well-being, I strongly suggest that you do not go down that path," Jaune sternly replies.

"Her well-being?" Yang is alarmed. "Can you explain?"

Jaune's eyes narrow.

"That momentary burst of light contained a hint of the Dao of Creation. This can not be something that was gained by Ruby through her own efforts, but is a foreign influence. Therefore, there will be consequences for utilizing it."

"Creation? Dao? More crazy cultivation stuff..." Yang mutters. "So you're saying that this power doesn't belong to Ruby. But if that's the case, who or what gave it to her? And why?"

"The who or what are currently unknowns. This warrants a thorough investigation once the opportunity arises. As for the why... it is too early to tell whether or not there is malicious intent behind this," Jaune replies. "Allow me to provide some further context to Ruby's situation."

"First of all, not all Dao are equal. Strictly speaking, there are three categories of Dao: Lesser, Grand, and Heavenly. 108,000 Lesser, 81 Grand, and 10 Heavenly. It just so happens that the Dao of Creation is one of the 10 Heavenly Dao."

"Okay... I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around the scale of what you're talking about. So what does this all mean? You mentioned consequences?" Yang asks.

Jaune further explains, "To be more specific, a Dao is not something one can properly utilize without first touching upon and comprehending its mysteries. With Heavenly Daos, understanding even the tiniest fraction is considered to be a rare success. They are essential to the very existence and functioning of the universe. Quite frankly, it is almost impossible for one to be born with a connection to a Heavenly Dao. One of the exceptions is if you are a being that was born during the very early stages of the universe."

"As for the consequence, evidenced by the severe migraine Ruby experienced, and further verifying it when I checked on her earlier... her spirit has been damaged ever so slightly." Jaune's expression darkens. "Taking damage to one's spirit is excruciatingly painful, and the migraine Ruby experienced can honestly be said to be the mildest of symptoms."

Ruby's eyes widen with a mixture of shock and fear. She does not remember many details from when her eyes triggered, but she vividly remembers the searing, head splitting pain. And Jaune is saying **_that_** is the mildest of symptoms?

"However, it is fortunate that this is only the second incident, before any irreparable damage could have been done. Earlier, I alleviated the immediate damage with some of my qi, as it has regenerative abilities to a certain degree. She will need several more days before it fully heals. As we move forward, Ruby will have to be fully aware of her emotional and mental state, as both of those seem to factor into the triggering of those eyes. Special training will be required, which brings me to this."

Waving an arm, the spider Grimm he'd captured is brought into the barrier. Within its confinement, the spider hisses and raises its frontal legs into the air, baring its large fangs.

Yang and Ruby lean forward to take a closer look at the Grimm, before they look at each other.

"Doesn't this look like that one Grimm Uncle Qrow described a few years ago?" Yang asks.

"Yeah... I vaguely remember him mentioning some kind of spider Grimm during one of his missions. It was one of the few times he wasn't joking when he was telling his stories. If I'm remembering correctly, he saw a group of newly licensed Huntsmen in the field get nearly wiped out by a pack of Ursa, all because they failed to notice a spider Grimm in the vicinity. They'd only gotten out of there safely because Uncle Qrow was there. What did he say that Grimm was called again?"

"He said they're called Widows."

"Hmm..." Jaune mutters. "How curious..."

With a thought, he peels a small opening away from the Widow's prison, releasing a wisp of the gas it had been continuously emitting ever since its capture. Intentionally suppressing the resistances of his body, Jaune inhales the foreign substance.

Almost immediately, the world before Jaune's eyes twists and morphs, finding himself standing before a small bodhi tree atop a small mountain. Beneath the tree is a lone, elegant, yet simple, gravestone. A small wave of emotion stirs Jaune's heart as he stares down at the grave.

Suddenly, the sky turns dark and heavy rain begins to pour from the clouds. A thin, pale arm emerges from the dirt and clasps onto Jaune's ankle. A ghostly, yet familiar, voice echoes out from beneath the soil.

_"Why weren't you there? Why weren't you there? Why didn't you save me?!"_

After releasing a small sigh, resolve flashes across Jaune's eyes.

"Hmph," he snorts, and illusionary world shatters, bringing his senses back to reality.

The sisters, Ruby in particular, stare at Jaune with concern. They let out a breath of relief when Jaune blinks and turns his attention to the Widow.

"An apt name, Widow. Without a doubt, this Grimm is the most dangerous we've encountered so far. It's physical strength is laughable compared to other Grimm, but its ability to mentally attack would be devastating to anyone unprepared or inexperienced."

"According to Uncle Qrow, Widows aren't very common, which is fortunate for everyone," Yang shudders.

"I see... It is good fortune that we came across this Widow, as I have some uses for it in mind."

Jaune throws out a handful of hard light Dust and stores the Widow within a spherical prison. Waving his hand, the Widow, in its hard light prison, get brought into his ring.

"What was that about?" Yang asks curiously.

"The Widow's ability to attack the weakest part of one's mental state is a terrifying ability. But under a controlled environment, it will be an invaluable tool to strengthening one's mind. Everyone can benefit greatly from this, but it is most important for Ruby," Jaune explains.

Raising a hand, Ruby slowly asks, "About my eyes. You said that because I haven't gained any mastery over the Dao of Creation, using its power is hurting my spirit. Does this mean that if I comprehend Creation, I could use the power in my eyes without any negative effects?"

Jaune raises an eyebrow before chuckling, "Clever girl. Yes. You are correct with that assumption."

"Then why didn't you mention that possibility?" Ruby further questions. "Do you think it's impossible for me to learn the Dao of Creation or something?"

This time, Jaune laughs loudly at her innocent inquiry.

"There are only 10 Heavenly Dao in existence. Can you blame me for encouraging you to take a path that is more likely to bear fruit? I also do not believe that you _need_ that power to deal with Grimm or any other threat."

Ruby's face grows a little red from being laughed at so blatantly by Jaune.

"Oh yeah? W-well, how many Heavenly Dao do can _you_ use, mister 'I'm so amazing'?"

As soon as Jaune smiles, Ruby instantly regrets her retort.

Jaune begins to casually count off on his fingers.

"Let me first explain to you what the Heavenly Dao are. Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth are the elemental Heavenly Dao. These five are the essential elements that makeup all matter in the creation of worlds. Next are Creation, Destruction, Yin, and Yang. These four are more abstract concepts, but just as, if not, more _real_ than the elemental Daos. They are what governs balance and the natural cycles of the universe. The tenth and final Heavenly Dao is the most profound of all and reigns supreme. It is Primordial Chaos, or the Origin. All Dao originated from Primordial Chaos and is the most elusive of all Dao in existence."

Jaune concludes with his hands help up with all fingers splayed out.

"Like the ten fingers of my hands. One could say that by mastering the 10 Heavenly Dao, the universe itself is held within their hands."

Jaune lowers six of his fingers.

"Currently, I am utilizing the Dao of Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal in my cultivation art."

"U-uh, pfft," Ruby tries to unconvincingly play it off. "That's only four out of ten. Technically a failing grade."

Yang pats Ruby's shoulder while shaking her head, causing her head to sink in defeat.

"Again, we can't fully relate or appreciate what all this means," Yang scoffs. "You're literally the only cultivator we know of. For all we know, you're average in the cultivation world."

Jaune opts to simply respond with an amused smile.

"But who really knows?" He chuckles. "Perhaps in time, you'll be able to delve into the mysteries of Creation and use that power with full ownership."

Standing up, Jaune waves the barrier on the platform away.

"There is nothing left for us here. We should begin heading back out to the surface. The sooner I report our success, the faster the city can get back on its feet."

Yang tiredly sighs, "I'm going to need a lot of time to process everything that's happened down here today."

She glances at Jaune with a small smile.

"You have any more of that stuff you gave Ruby last night?"

Shaking his head in amusement, Jaune blankets the two with his divine sense and hops off the platform to descend back down to the bottom of the cavern.

Wasting no time, Jaune redeploys his sword array around them and accelerates his flight speed through the large tunnel opening the Wyvern had previously attempted to escape through. Whipping through the air at high speed, the sword array occasionally lashes out, turning all Grimm they come across to dust.

After several minutes of silence, Ruby's head perks up.

"Hey Jaune?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking... You're strongly encouraging us to focus on developing our Semblances, but would it be possible to teach us cultivation as well? It wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

Yang's ears twitch at Ruby's question and she quietly listens very carefully. After all, this same thought had crossed her mind on several occasions ever since that night, and she is certain that Pyrrha and the others must have had the same thought as well.

Jaune hums to himself for a moment.

"One main reason I have not is because all of you need to grow as efficiently as possible within a relatively short time frame. Learning to sense and absorb qi is something that can potentially take months to years, depending on one's aptitude. Additionally, when I first arrived to this world, I had found myself unable to properly cultivate qi within my dantian, which is the area above the naval, and it is crucial to the cultivation of qi. Eventually, I was able to resolve this issue with rather brute force methods, and I do not recommend this at all for any inexperienced individual. As I have yet to see any evidence of cultivators on this world, I am assuming that similar blocks reside within everyone who are born on this world."

"Would you be able to aid us from the outside if any one of us tried to use that brute force method you're talking about?"

"Yes, I would be able to watch over you as you attempt the breakthrough. But again, to even think about beginning this process, you must be able to sense and absorb qi."

In the darkness of the tunnel, a dim light flickers in the distance, caused by moonlight spilling through the gaps of debris blocking their path, clearly the work of the Wyvern. Jaune simultaneously circulates Black Tortoise and White Tiger qi into his sword array, and greatly accelerates the blades' orbital speed. Not slowing down a fraction, the group burrows through the rubble blocking their path with little resistance, before quickly bursting out into the open night sky.

Jaune glances at the sisters and contemplates, "Perhaps in the future, your aptitudes can be tested, but getting to a point where your efforts will greatly impact combat will take time. Time that you do not have the luxury to spend at this current moment."

_'And myself as well.'_

"Well... at least that's better than a no," Ruby shrugs.

"He also has a good point about time," Yang adds. "Whether we'd like to admit it or not, the attack on Beacon was an act of war... Potentially wasting precious time is not a good option."

Jaune nods in approval, then he looks out into the horizon and breathes in the fresh night air. Yang looks out into the distance towards the dimly lit city of Vale.

"Everything is so small when you're up here," she breathes out. "I don't think I'll ever get used to this kind of view. The airships can't get this high."

"In the grand scheme of things, yes, it is quite small," Jaune agrees. "But, it is not insignificant."

"Yup!" Ruby brightly smiles. "It's home."

Yang's eyes soften.

"Yeah, you're right. It's home."

To enjoy the view for as long as possible, Jaune takes them through the skies at a leisurely pace towards Patch.

***** The following day *****

Glynda releases a deep sigh in relief.

"You have no idea how much work and headaches this saves me from."

Jaune takes a sip of his tea.

"Keep in mind that there is still a relatively high population of Grimm with Mountain Glenn's tunnels. However, due to the Winter cold, the majority of them will not venture outside."

"We can deal with them with future expeditions while minimizing risk of losses. Right now, the city and Beacon must focus on rebuilding, and reopening the supply chain from the South is a major first step," Glyda replies. "Now, only a handful of Huntsmen and Huntresses are required to protect the cargo."

"There was something else of interest that I found," Jaune says.

Glynda's eyebrow raises up as Jaune slides Merlot's diary across the table. She curiously picks it up.

"This is?"

"It's a book," Jaune playfully replies, earning a rather annoyed glare. "To be more specific, it is a diary I'd found in a hidden laboratory within the tunnel walls. Belongs to someone named Merlot."

Eyes greatly widen behind her glasses.

"Merlot," Glynda gasps, before opening the book to the first page and reads over the introduction. With a shudder, she snaps the book shut and sets it aside.

"When Mountain Glenn was overrun, all traces of Merlot had disappeared. We don't even know whether he is alive or not... Professor Ozpin had always avoided talking about the specifics of what had happened with Mountain Glenn, except on the rarest of occasions. Whenever he _did_ speak more about it, Merlot's name had always come up, and with it, great regret," Glynda sighs.

"Hmm, speak of Ozpin, how is the excavation of the tower coming along?"

"We have only just begun, but so far, there have been no major issues. Even with my Semblance, it is a tedious process," she tiredly replies. "By our estimates, it will take a few weeks to clear the blockage safely, so long as the interior of the Vault is stable. Hopefully, we will find some evidence as to what happened to Professor Ozpin once we reach bottom."

"What of Atlas? Any news from Ironwood?"

Glynda scowls, "According to James, the Council has been slow to react to the situation. They're paralyzed from taking action because their fleet was compromised that night, and he is finding it extremely difficult in placating their concerns. Even though Atlas is greatly responsible for the damage caused to Vale, they act as if time is not of essence. James better do something soon, or the citizens of Vale will grow to distrust Atlas even more than they currently do..."

"Despite their geographical position keeping them safe from Grimm, they continue to cower in fear," Jaune sighs.

"Now, with the Southern supply chain reopened, we don't _need_ Atlas' help, though it would be **_very_** much appreciated," Glynda says through clenched teeth, obviously frustrated. She takes a sip from her cup and relaxes.

"I will be visiting Patch later this evening to assist Miss Nikos with her Semblance training."

"Once again, thank you for making the time," Jaune says as he sets his empty cup down. "Ah... I have nearly forgotten. Here is a small gift for Oobleck, as thanks for the maps of Mountain Glenn."

He waves his arm towards an emptier corner of the room, causing a small pile of books to appear. Glynda, not used to this site, jolts at their sudden appearance.

"And all of these are from?" Glynda asks before waving her riding crop, clearing the newly gathered dust out through her window.

"Some extra miscellaneous textbooks I'd found in addition to Merlot's diary. There is very useful information pertaining to the behaviors of various types of Grimm. I'm sure you and Oobleck will find use out of them."

Nodding, Glynda flicks her riding crop once more, this time neatly stacking the textbooks beside her desk.

"I'm sure Bartholomew will be ecstatic."

"If there's nothing else requiring discussion, I will be on my way now as I have some additional business to take care of. As always, thank you for the tea, and I will be seeing you later tonight on Patch."

Glynda gives an absent-minded wave as she'd reopened Merlot's diary to read through its content more thoroughly.

As Jaune strolls through the empty halls of Beacon, he flips his Scroll open and quickly types out a message. Within seconds, his Scroll buzzes with a response. Amusement flashes across his eyes as he reads his screen.

"Interesting," he chuckles to himself, before vanishing into the air.


	23. Chapter 23

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to RWBY**

Silent as a cat, Jaune lands on the ground across the street from an inconspicuous building. The large double doors leading into the establishment display signs of heavy damage. Large chunks of the wood are missing, and deep claw marks mar the surface. As he takes note, Jaune casually strolls past the two guards at the entrance, as they show no sign of acknowledging his presence.

The sound of club techno music grows louder as Jaune makes his way down the darkened hallway. The doors leading into the dance floor swing upon as he approaches. Like a fish in water, Jaune passes through the crowded floor with ease and takes a seat at a small bar. A man with a large stature is cleaning cocktail glasses behind the counter. He greets Jaune without looking up.

"What do you want?" He bluntly asks.

"Hmm... I'd like a strawberry sunrise," Jaune answers, then adds with a small grin. "No ice, and one of those little umbrellas."

Junior freezes, then slowly tilts his head up at the patron across his bar counter. The blonde hair causes him to panic for a second, but immediately sighs in relief upon seeing that the person in front of him is not _that_ blonde. Surely it is just a coincidence that he ordered that particular drink?

"Sure," Junior cautiously replies. "It'll be ready in a few minutes."

The corner of Jaune's mouth twitches in amusement.

_'I'd assumed Ruby was exaggerating when retelling the story Yang had told her.'_

"Actually," Jaune calls out. "There is something else I'd like to add."

Slightly annoyed, Junior turns back around.

Jaune leans against the counter.

"Take me to Roman Torchwick."

Junior's eyes widen behind his tinted sunglasses, but his figure remains composed.

_'Why is this guy looking for Roman?'_

"I don't know where you got the idea from, but this establishment does not house criminals," Junior carefully replies. "Besides, I'd heard he disappeared ever since that night. Word on the street is that he's dead."

Several men wearing identical suits and sunglasses begin to surround the bar counter, and the music in the background begins to fade. The civilian attendees in the club promptly begin to exit the room, recognizing that violence was likely to occur very soon.

Seemingly uncaring for these developments, Jaune calmly regards Junior with a piercing look.

"You have ten seconds to decide on whether or not you will take me upstairs."

Junior gulps as his mind is reeling in shock.

_'Does he know Roman is up there? How?!'_

Beads of sweat begin to form on his brow, and Junior mentally weighs his current options. Whoever this person is, is not simple. His gut is screaming to not take him lightly. Betray Roman's location and get hunted down by Neo? Or take his chances by feigning ignorance? In his opinion, Neo would be an absolute nightmare to deal with, and she really only listens to Roman... This guy has to be bluffing. Right?

With grit teeth, Junior coldly relies, "I'm telling you that you've got the wrong place. There is no Roman here, and I strongly suggest that you escort yourself out before my men do it for you."

His men brandish their weapons in response to Junior's reply.

Jaune smirks, then nods in satisfaction.

"Shorty, you can show yourself now," he calls out.

The sound of shattering glass rings through the air as Neo appears by Jaune, swinging her parasol towards his head. Without flinching, Jaune catches the trajectory of Neo's weapon with a finger, stopping it in its tracks. Sporting an annoyed look, Neo pulls her weapon back, then pulls a bar stool out to side next to Jaune and crosses her legs.

Junior's men rapidly retreat backwards several feet from Neo's arrival. From behind the bar, Junior feels a wave of cold sweat wash over his back, realizing that Neo was listening in on their conversation the entire time. If he'd chosen to sell Roman out... He gulps and mentally pats himself on the back for trusting his instincts.

"Is he currently busy?"

Neo nods her head, then stares intently at Jaune.

He waves his hand, bringing out an ice cream sundae from his storage ring. Neo's eyes change color as she claps her hands together with glee. With a greedy eye, she reaches out and snatches the snack from Jaune's palm.

"Couldn't you venture out into the city yourself using your Semblance?" Jaune asks.

With a spoon sticking out from the corner of her mouth, Neo rolls her eyes in annoyance.

Jaune chuckles, "Roman is against it? He has grown rather cautious hasn't he?"

Neo clicks her tongue, then stabs her spoon into her sundae.

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe a little too cautious."

Junior's eyes dart back and forth between Jaune and Neo incredulously.

_'How are they having a normal conversation when one of them doesn't even speak? Based on Neo's reactions, he's not just blindly asking or answering. She seems to respect him quite a bit as well. Where did that ice cream sundae even come from? Who the heck is this guy?... I swear that blondes are bad news...'_

He feels his head spin while watching the scene in front of him.

Neo scrapes the bottom of her bowl with the spoon, then sets it down onto the bar counter before hopping off her chair. Junior's men flinch when she does so. Jaune waves his hand over the empty bowl, taking it back into his storage ring, then casks a glance at Junior.

"Do you feel like taking me upstairs now?"

Junior deeply sighs, then steps out from behind the bar and signals the DJ to resume the music. One his men promptly steps into the bar to take his place.

"Follow me."

The trio pass through a curtained off area guarded by several of Junior's men, then they proceed to walk up a flight of stairs to the second floor. As they walk through a darkened hallway, Neo skips beside Jaune and tugs his sleeve.

Jaune brings a hand up to his chin while nodding.

"I suppose I can try to convince Roman to be less restrictive. You'll owe me though."

Neo sticks her tongue out.

"I have a feeling that you won't object to what I have in mind," Jaune grins.

Her head tilts curiously, before shrugging and skipping ahead of them to a nondescript door. Junior walks up to it and brings out a key to unlock it.

* * *

Roman is seated upon a leather sofa in the corner of a darkened room, speaking to a pair of twins sitting across from him at a small table.

"Given the circumstances, isn't this a bit expensive?"

"Stop your whining," Melanie replies. "One could just as easily argue that her services are even more valuable given these circumstances. Besides, you know what her mantra is. Spiders do not-"

"Negotiate with their meal. I know," Roman rolls his eyes.

"Then stop wasting time by trying to haggle," Militia scoffs.

About to snap back with a snarky retort, Roman pauses due to the the sound of the door opening. Seeing the individuals entering the room, Roman stands up from his seat.

"Hey Jaunie! I can call you Jaunie right? You don't mind? Great, glad you could finally make it. I was just in the middle of negotiations."

Not giving Jaune the time to respond, Roman leans forward and whispers, "So... what the heck happened in my warehouse? Looked like a damn bomb exploded in there."

Jaune merely smiles, but does not answer. Shrugging to himself and taking no offense, Roman moves on and glances at Neo, who nods once. Roman turns to Junior with an apologetic grin.

"You know how it is in our business. We had to know you weren't going to screw us over."

"Whatever," Junior grunts.

"Who's he?" The Malachite twins ask while pointing at Jaune.

"You can consider him as my client," Roman smoothly responds. "Our current negotiations are related to his interests."

He turns towards Jaune and explains, "Basically, we are in the middle of finalizing a deal to establish surveillance throughout Vale. I'd figured you'd want the best in the business, so here we are."

Roman points his cane at the twins' faces, earning an annoyed scowl from them.

"The mother of these two runs an organization called the Spiders. They control all levels of information throughout Remnant, though most of their activity is based in Anima. The only real downside in dealing with them is that they are... quite expensive."

Militia frowns, "You get what you pay for."

"If you're really so adamant on negotiating price, then take a ship to Anima and speak with mother yourself," Melanie says while casually inspecting her nails.

"Geez... fine. I get it. You can't blame a man for trying," Roman dramatically raises his hands. "You'll get the money in a few days."

"Hand it over to Junior. He'll take care of the rest," Militia replies.

Roman strokes his chin curiously, "So I'm just wondering... how long will it take for the web to be completely cast over Vale once I pay?"

Smirking, Militia responds, "What makes you think there isn't one in place already?"

"Why do you think _we're_ all the way here in Vale in the first place," Melanie adds.

Roman blinks in surprise, then shrugs.

"That makes sense."

"Alright you two, that's enough," Junior warns. "Your mother wouldn't be happy if she learned you two gave away too much information. Especially for free."

The twins exchange glances, then step back.

"As they've already said, once you pay, the Spiders will begin to report back any information you request." Junior solemnly explains.

"They will remain discreet?" Jaune asks. "It is paramount that the ones who are spied upon remain unaware."

Junior nods confidently without hesitation.

"You won't have to worry about that. In case you're wondering, don't let my men downstairs fool you. They're just simple members in my gang and have no relation whatsoever to the Spiders."

"I see," Jaune nods. "If that is all, then I would like some privacy to discuss further business with Roman."

"Alright... let's go you two," Junior says as he turns back towards the room's exit.

Neo dangerously smirks at Junior as he passes by, causing a shiver to travel down his spine. Roman, he could deal with, but Neo is too unpredictable and dangerous. He internally shudders, remembering what happened to a large portion of his men when they tried flirting with her. Therefore, Junior feels even greater trepidation towards Jaune. For someone aside from Roman to casually converse and interact with Neo in a friendly fashion...

"No funny business with that Jaune guy," Junior warns the twins in a low voice. "He's bad news if we cross him."

Militia and Melanie narrow their eyes and nod. Junior is not the greatest of fighters, but his gut instincts are unusually reliable. Which is precisely why their mother entrusted them to him during their stay in Vale.

Jaune mentally chuckles as he'd clearly heard Junior's comment from the hallway outside. He taps his root, sealing the room with his divine sense.

"Do you believe them to be trustworthy?" Jaune asks.

Roman answers confidently, "I know his type since we're exactly the same. While Junior runs a criminal organization, he has his standards, and the same applies to the Spiders. So long as they are compensated, they'll do their job as asked. Reputation is paramount to our business. Is this why you asked us to stay behind?"

"There are some other matters of interest I'd like to discuss, and they mainly involve Shorty," Jaune replies while pointing a thumb at Neo.

Neo, who was typing away on her Scroll, perks her head up in annoyance.

"With Neo? What do you mean?" Roman carefully asks.

"The first request is quite simple. I'd like her to act as a sparring partner."

Both Roman and Neo raise an eyebrow.

"For you? What use would that be?"

Shaking his head, Jaune elaborates, "Not as my sparring partner. Someone else. Someone shorty may be familiar with."

Neo points a finger to herself and tilts her head.

Jaune asks with a glint in his eyes, "Do you remember the girl you fought in the underground train from Mountain Glenn?"

Neo taps her chin several times before nodding, then grimaces, recalling that terrifying masked woman who'd interfered.

"You won't have to worry about her," Jaune chuckles. "She only appeared because you were threatening mortal injury upon Yang."

"Yang Xiaolong? That's Little Red's older sister," Roman mutters. "You want Neo to be her sparring partner?"

Jaune nods, "I believe they suit each other quite well in terms of fighting styles. At least, that's based on what I'd seen from that night at the shipment docks."

"Shipment docks..." Roman's eyes widen. "When we were snagging Dust from the SDC. You were watching."

"Babysitting those troublesome girls is quite the task," Jaune sighs to himself.

"Won't this raise questions?" Roman asks. "Those brats know that Neo is associated with me. Wouldn't appearing with her by your side be troublesome?"

Jaune shrugs, "They might, but they are used to dealing with stranger occurrences by now."

"Hmm..."

Roman looks unconvinced, but he glances towards Neo.

"What do you think kiddo? Are you up for it?"

Neo thinks to herself for a moment, then grins with a raised fist.

Sighing, Roman looks back at Jaune.

"Alright... if you think the blowback isn't going to be a big deal."

Jaune's expression grows serious.

"My second request is a little more complicated, but much more important. What I am about to ask of Neo is the main reason for this private conversation."

Neo's grin disappears, immediately noticing the lack of a nickname. Roman's expression grows dark as this fact was not lost on him either.

"Very soon, within a few days, I will be venturing out of Vale to take care of essential business. Though I will be returning occasionally, I will need Neo to act as my doppelganger whenever I am not here."

A deafening silence falls upon the room. Roman reaches into his coat pocket and brings out a cigar. He quietly cuts and lights it, then takes a long drag. Jaune remains silent and waits patiently, while Neo glances back and forth between the two.

Roman sighs out a plume of smoke.

"I gotta be honest. I hate that idea, but... Neo's grown up now and is capable of making her own decisions. If she makes this decision without properly thinking it through, then it's a failure on my part in raising her."

Neo's eyes soften for a moment, then nods her head with determination.

"Alright then kiddo... if that's really what you think is best, and want to do."

"All she really needs to do is to wander about with the general public," Jaune assures. "There is no need for her to put herself into any precarious situation."

Roman stares into Jaune's eyes. Finding no signs of deceit or malice, he sighs in resignation and puffs on his cigar.

"If there is nothing you need Neo, I'd like to take her along. There is a training session on Patch today."

Roman waves a hand dismissively.

"Go ahead... I'm done for today."

Jaune nods, then places hand on Neo's shoulder. With his divine sense, the darkly tinted windows swing open, and the two disappear in a blur through the opening. After they leave, the windows shut closed.

Roman blankly stares while nearly dropping his cigar. He mutters to himself, "I'm gonna need a drink."

***** Patch *** **

Jaune and Neo hover over the small island of Patch several hundred meters in the air. Neo "swims" towards Jaune and takes a seat on his shoulder. She mischievously grins before cloaking with her Semblance. Jaune raises an eyebrow, then sighs, having a good idea of what Neo was up to. He begins to descend towards a training field located behind the Patch home.

"Feel every minute movement of the object you are manipulating," Glynda instructs. "Every single aspect must be under your complete control. Now, move it counter-clockwise as slowly as possible without pause."

Pyrrha eyes narrow as she concentrates on a small piece of metal above her palms. It slowly moves through the air in a counter-clockwise motion. After completing half a dozen rotations, she releases her breath and deactivates her Semblance, mentally exhausted.

"For now, I suppose that is acceptable," Glynda says as she types into her Scroll. "As you exercise your Semblance more in this fashion, you will gradually improve your control and Aura efficiency. Concurrently, you'll want to increase the speed in which you manipulate the object without sacrificing control. The current end goal is to expand this level of control to multiple objects."

"This is considerably more difficult than I'd initially imagined," Pyrrha sighs.

Glynda nods, "Whenever you'd utilized your Semblance in the past, it has always either been in momentary bursts or brute force. Due to that, precision was never truly of upmost importance. However, utilizing your Semblance in such a fashion is an enormous waste of potential."

"I see..." Pyrrha thoughtfully responds, then turns her head to the side, hearing someone approaching them.

Jaune casually waves a hand as he walks up to them.

"Good afternoon you two. I ca see that Glynda has already begun instructing. How is it going so far?"

"There are some obvious issues to work on," Glynda responds. "But I am confident that we are on the right track in resolving them."

"I'd heard from Ruby and Yang that the trip to Mountain Glenn went well," Pyrrha smiles. "Though... I must admit that I had a difficult time following their recollection at times."

"It was an interesting trip," Jaune chuckles.

"Perhaps you can go into more detail when you have the time?" Pyrrha asks.

"Of course, that wouldn't be a problem."

Glynda clears her throat.

"Do you have any advice for Miss Nikos' training? I'd like to make sure all bases are being covered," Glynda inquires.

Jaune looks up in thought for a moment, then shakes his head.

"Hmm... nothing in particular comes to mind at the moment. Like you, I too would emphasize training control and precision above all else. What use is power if it is not utilized properly?"

Glynda nods in satisfaction.

"Then for now, Miss Nikos will be following a strict regiment that I'd used in my younger years."

Jaune nods, then grins towards Pyrrha.

"If there is time, would you be up for some sparring later?"

Pyrrha returns a determined smile.

"Of course. I look forward to it."

He waves his hand behind him as he leaves and walks towards the forest treeline, where Ren is found sitting under a tree with his eyes closed. His chest hardly rises and falls as he takes long controlled breathes in meditation. Jaune's eyes move upwards at a branch above Ren's head, where Nora is lazily snoring away.

Though amused, Jaune silently walks past them, seeing no reason to disturb Ren.

Further along the training field, Jaune finds Yang and Ruby sitting across from each other, conversing. Ruby waves a dirt covered hand when she notices him approaching.

"Hi Jaune! We haven't seen you all morning. What were you up to?"

Jaune feels the weight on his shoulder stiffen at the sight of Ruby.

"A few errands here and there," Jaune casually replies, ignoring Neo. "Nothing too noteworthy."

Yang raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You know... I seriously kind of doubt that."

Jaune shrugs and glances over Ruby's clothes that are covered in dirt.

"Training hard? Are you seeing any improvements with your Semblance?"

Ruby nods in excitement.

"Yup. It's not much, but I've been able to jump into it a little easier. Though the fatigue is still a problem, it should get better over time."

"Though you can definitely use some more work on your balance when you deactivate it," Yang comments as she eyes Ruby's clothes.

"I'll have you know that it is really disorienting," Ruby pouts, then looks down at her clothes. She gasps, then frantically pats at her clothes while blushing with embarrassment.

"How about you?" Jaune asks Yang.

Yang shrugs, "I'm not entirely sure on how to approach my training, so I'd figured that waiting for you to come would be better, rather than potentially do something wrong."

_'Hmm...'_

"Then what do you think about starting with some sparring?"

"Sparring? With who? Pyrrha is busy with Professor Goodwitch, Ren is busy with... whatever he's doing, Ruby has other priorities to focus on, and Nora is... yeah..."

"Actually, I've found a suitable sparring partner for you," Jaune responds with a glint in his eyes. "You should stand up and prepare yourself because she will be here very soon."

"Uh... okay?" Yang says as she slowly rises to her feet. "She?"

The weight on Jaune's shoulder lifts, and with the sound of shattering glass, Neo sprints towards Yang, swinging Hush at her face.

Yang's eyes widen in surprise and she stumbles backwards, narrowly dodging the blow.

"What the f-," she nearly curses.

As Yang regains her balance, Neo stands casually with a hand on her hip and the other swinging Hush over her shoulder. She throws a taunting smirk at Yang, while the two sisters' mouths are wide open, gawking the the sight of the one before them.

"Isn't this... wha-," Ruby stammers as she recalls what happened that night on top of the Atlesian ship. Her face grows slightly pale.

Neo turns towards Ruby and coldly smiles, causing her to step backwards. The cold smile quickly disapoears when Jaune suddenly appears behind Neo and lightly flicks her head. Neo's hand rubs the sore spot and reels around to glare at Jaune for ruining her fun.

"S-she's... that girl who was on that train when we were in Mountain Glenn with Professor Oobleck," Yang manages to utter while pointing a finger at Neo. "She works for Roman! What the heck is this midget doing here?!"

Jaune mentally sighs at Yang's wise choice of words. He turns around and takes Ruby to the side of the training area.

"What? What's going on?" Ruby questions while warily staring at Neo.

"Ah... It's going to get a little messy," Jaune sighs.

Neo's playful expression turns into a frown. She eyes her opponent for a moment, then dashes forward to rapidly close the gap between herself and Yang.

"Yang," Jaune calls out.

Yang's head instinctively turns towards Jaune.

"What?"

"Don't get distracted," Jaune sighs to himself.

"Wha-" Yang manages to say before Neo kicks her head, sending her sprawling across the ground.

Yang quickly picks herself up mentally cursing Jaune, and glares at Neo, who is taunting her by wagging a finger. Growling, she charges at Neo with her left arm by her side, ready to strike out.

Yang digs her heel into the ground and throws out a fierce left straight. Neo casually steps to the side, narrowly dodging Yang's fist, then steps forward into her range. With a casual kick to the back of Yang's knees, she buckles backwards and falls onto her back.

Neo leans down at Yang and flashes a grin, eliciting a deep growl from Yang's throat. She kicks at Neo, who skips back, and transitions into a kick up to get back onto her feet.

Yang's pupils flash red with anger and frustration. As Yang prepares to charge forward, she catches Ruby's worried eyes at the sidelines. Yang pauses, then slaps herself on the left cheek before taking in a deep breath.

_'Calm down Yang. Don't be overemotional! Isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place?' _She mentally reminds herself.

As Yang breathes out, her eyes return to their normal lilac hue and her body slightly relaxes. Yang charges at Neo, but this time, weaves side to side with controlled footwork as she approaches. She brings her fist back for a telegraphed punch, and while Neo is already moving away, Yang kicks out with her right leg. Neo's eyes widen with surprise, and she is forced to catch the blow with Hush. She hops in the opposite direction of the kick, allowing the momentum of the blow to carry her through the air and minimize damage. Neo gracefully lands on her feet and regards Yang with a slightly more serious expression.

Yang clicks her tongue, annoyed that her surprise attack didn't have as much impact as she'd hoped. She seriously doubts that Neo would fall for such a trick again.

Neo slowly strolls around Yang's perimeter, gauging her opponent and looking for potential openings. Yang pivots on her foot to keep facing Neo while angling her right side away.

Neo skips forward, causing Yang to step back. Then, Yang executes a quick sidestep and feigns a dash. In response, Neo hops backwards, and the two circle each other.

After a few moments, Yang initiates by feigning to the side, then jumping forward. Neo counteracts by moving in the opposite direction while remaining calm and composed, and carefully studying her opponent. The two girls rapidly move back and forth while circling each other in a dance, and hardly close the distance. Neither seem to be able to gain an immediate advantage.

As Yang begins to take a sidestep, Neo's eyes gleam and she uses the tip of Hush to flick a small rock towards Yang's foot that is stepping down. When Yang steps on the rock, she loses her balance for a moment and stumbles, giving Neo the opening she was looking for. In a surprising burst of speed, Neo appears in front of Yang, then disappears from view, her back pressed against Yang's.

Yang quickly turns around to get at Neo, but her every movement is matched by the petite girl. Sticking to her backside like glue, Neo throws out series of punches and kicks at Yang's blind spots, whittling down her Aura.

Eyes flash red, and Yang punches down at the ground with her full power, forcing Neo to dart away in order to avoid the flying debris.

From the cloud of dust lingering the air, Yang emerges with her Semblance activated and throws a succession of small jabs at Neo. However, due to being powered by her Semblance, substantial damage would be dealt, should any of them land.

Neo quickly steps backwards to maintain a distance while swaying like a piece of grass to avoid the attacks.

Jaune slightly nods in approval.

_'She recognizes that haphazardly throwing fully committed strikes would leave her grossly unbalanced in her current state. However... against Neo...'_

While dodging Yang's relentless pursuit, Neo calmly studies Yang, looking for an opportunity. As Yang pulls her arm back, Neo's eyes glint.

_'Here.'_

Neo suddenly steps forward and preemptively diverts Yang's next punch, then jumps into the air above Yang's head. While upside down in the air, Neo plants her hands on Yang's shoulders, then drives her knees down onto her back.

Yang coughs from the impact and crumples onto the ground. Neo hops off Yang's back and dusts herself off.

Groaning, Yang sits up, while Jaune approaches alongside with Ruby. As Ruby checks over Yang, she grumbles, "I couldn't land a solid hit on her once."

"Well, to put it simply, it was a massive difference in combat experience," Jaune responds. "You didn't do too badly though, all things considered."

Yang's expression grows doubtful as she glances at Neo.

"I've been training and fighting since I could walk. She looks around our age, so how could she have _that_ much more combat experience than me?"

Jaune lightly chuckles.

"Shorty, how old are you?"

Neo's eye twitches, but complies with Jaune's inquiry and holds up two fingers, then three.

"Huh?" Yang's mouth drops open, and she looks over Neo in disbelief.

"No way... she's twenty three? She's five years older than Yang?" Ruby mutters to herself. "Did she not drink milk..."

"In addition to the age difference, it is worth noting that she's lived in the criminal world for most of her life," Jaune points out. "You do not survive there for long if you're not capable of holding your own."

Neo puffs out her chest and nods pridefully.

Jaune glances to the side at Neo and adds, "But as I've said before, the main difference between you two is experience. Neither style of fighting is necessarily better than the other, despite how this spar turned out. I have very good reason for pairing you two together as sparring partners."

"And that reason is?" Yang asks curiously.

Jaune flashes a smile, "Who knows?"

"Hmph," Yang clicks her tongue.

Neo silently scoffs.

"What? You don't believe me shorty? You don't think it's solely due to experience?"

Neo nonchalantly shrugs.

Jaune thinks for a moment, then suggests, "Then how about a demonstration? Me and you."

She looks at Jaune with a hand on her hips that clearly asks, "_Seriously?"_

"I will limit my strength and speed to Yang's level, as well as forfeit the usage of my right arm. Effectively, I will be Yang in her current physical state. In addition, I will be imitating Yang's style of combat, and you can use your Semblance as much as you'd like."

Neo swings Hush over her shoulder with a cold glint in her eyes.

_"Don't regret it."_ Her expression says.

Yang and Ruby move away to give them some space.

"First one to land a solid hit wins," Jaune grins. He wags a finger at her playfully. "Come on. I'll even let you throw the first strike."

Neo's eyes narrow as she brings down Hush to her side. '_He's limiting himself to the level of that blonde bimbo, yet he still underestimates me?'_

Jaune breathes out and assumes his stance. Ruby blinks once and glances at Yang.

"He wasn't joking when he said he'd imitate you. His stance and posture are practically identical."

"Yeah..." Yang mutters as she keeps her gaze fixed on Jaune.

The image of Neo shatters, and Jaune quickly turns around to block Hush coming down on him with his left forearm. Neo nimbly lands on the ground and follows up her attack with a reverse high kick. Jaune intercepts the kick with his palm, grabbing onto Neo's ankle, then throws her across the field.

While tumbling through the air, Neo unfurls her parasol to stabilize and slow her fall. She gasps and quickly hops back a few yards upon landing, narrowly dodging a fist coming down onto the location she'd just occupied. Jaune's fist meets the ground, shattering and sending cracks along it.

Without pause, Jaune charges through the dust and debris. In the very last instant, Jaune kicks the ground, darting to the right and keeping his center of balance low. He punches out towards the Neo's torso.

Neo twirls on her left heel and diverts Jaune's punch away with Hush. Following the momentum of her pivot, she kicks at Jaune with her right leg. Due to his lowered center of mass, Jaune is able to kick out behind himself with perfect balance, slamming Neo in the stomach with the heel of his foot. However, when he makes contact, there is no resistance, and Neo shatters into pieces.

She reappears several meters away and narrows her eyes. As far as she could tell, Jaune is keeping true to his word in keeping his strength and speed the same as that blonde, but the amount of pressure she feels is incomparable.

Jaune remains in his spot and wags a finger at her, taunting her.

_'... Fine.'_

Neo slowly begins to stroll around Jaune while keeping a careful eye on him. She breathes out as her Semblance activates, leaving behind an image of herself every few steps. Jaune waits patiently as Neo completes her encirclement around Jaune, surrounding his perimeter with dozens of copies. Neo hides herself within her replicas as several of them burst into motion to converge on Jaune.

Jaune's expression remains impassive as the first wave of clones approach. He leans and swerves with unexpected flexibility, avoiding the multitude of attacks coming from all directions. Jaune seamlessly weaves in counter attacks as he dodges in place, shattering the clones on contact, as they are merely illusions with no true substance. If this were a true battle, Jaune would not have to even bother avoiding the attacks from the replicas.

Neo occasionally darts into the fray, striking like a viper. However, none of her surprise attacks meet their mark, despite Jaune moving at a speed she could easily follow with her eyes.

"He's still keeping his speed at about the same level as yours, and he's not moving from his spot while holding back those sheer numbers," Ruby gasps.

Yang swallows a lump in her throat.

_'Does that mean that I am that lacking?'_

Quiet steps rustle the grass behind them, causing the sisters to turn around.

"He moves like bamboo," Ren observes.

"Bamboo? What is that?" Yang asks.

Ren takes a spot by their side while carefully observing Jaune's movements.

"Ah... It is not a plant easily found in Sanus, much less near the borders of Vale. However, in the mountains and plains outside of Mistral's borders, vast forests of bamboo are plentiful. It is a very flexible plant like grass, but is also durable and stiff like wood. Jaune's movements greatly remind me of the unique characteristics of bamboo."

"Wait, Yang," Ruby's eyes widen with realization. "Don't you think this could be what Jaune meant by neither your or Neo's style are inherently superior over the other? Neo mainly focuses on flexibly moving away from attacks, while you mainly focus on overwhelming with power. So maybe he's implying..."

"Hard and soft," Yang mutters to herself. "Kind of like how Ren describes bamboo... Is he trying to tell me that I should incorporate aspects of _soft_ into my way of fighting?"

Jaune smiles to himself as he listens to their conversation.

_'I suppose this is passable.'_

He steps forward towards Neo's hidden location and blurs out of view.

Neo's replicas freeze in their tracks, and original's eyes quickly scan the vicinity while slowly backing away. She suddenly reels around, expecting Jaune to appear from there, but is met with empty air. Releasing a small breath of relief, she turns back around and is greeted by a flick to her forehead.

She silently yelps in surprise, breaking her concentration, and the replicas scatter into the air. While rubbing her forehead, she shoots a glare at Jaune.

_"Cheater."_ Her expression accuses.

He smiles apologetically and brings out another ice cream sundae as an offering.

Neo snatches her prize away from Jaune's outstretched hand without hesitation.

Jaune glances over his shoulder as Yang, Ruby, and Ren approach.

"Well?" He asks.

"You want me to shift towards a less direct way of fighting?" Yang asks thoughtfully. "That's why you chose her as my sparring partner right? From her, I can learn ways to cover my weak points."

Jaune nods, "It would go both ways. Shorty could benefit quite a bit as well, as she over relies on counterattacking. As you may have guessed by now, the concept behind your pairing is summed up as _soft_ and _hard_, or _Yin _and _Yang_. Contrary forces that complement and mutually give rise to each other. Both balancing each other in harmony. If you know where and how to look, this concept is present everywhere."

"Life and death. Day and night." Ren ponders. "These would be basic examples, but there is always another half."

"Like you and Nora?" Yang teasingly points out.

Ren looks away to the side with a faint blush to his cheeks.

"Rennnnn!" Nora's voice calls out from across the field. "Where did you go?"

"Excuse me," Ren bluntly says. He promptly turns on his heels and briskly walks towards Nora's direction, while ignoring the playful snickers from Yang and Ruby.

Chuckling at their antics, Jaune takes out a small notebook and tosses it into Yang's hand.

Yang looks down at the nondescript book with a raised eyebrow.

"The initial pages contain a series of exercises I've tailored specifically for you. Practicing them daily will bolster your footwork and flexibility. In the later parts, there are several styles of fighting that are relatively well balanced, and easily adaptable from your current style."

"I... don't know what to say other than thank you," Yang gratefully responds. She tightens her grip on the book, so as not to drop it.

"Ruby, do you remember what I'd told you in Mountain Glenn?" Jaune asks, turning his attention to her.

"Are you talking about... my eyes?"

Jaune nods, "Yes. I'd prefer we begin that aspect of training starting today."

"Okay... but... what if they go out of control again?" Ruby nervously asks.

"Do not worry about that. I'll be right here to prevent such a scenario, so do not let such fears distract you," Jaune assures.

Ruby sits down on the grass and takes a deep breath, composing herself.

"Okay I'm ready. I think."

Jaune extracts a thin wisp of the Widow's gas. As he places his hand onto Ruby's shoulder to closely monitor her, he sends the gas through her mouth and nostrils, causing her vision to blur as she falls under its immediate effects.

***** Unknown Location *****

"Magic is fueled by emotion. The more intense the emotion, the greater the response and power. Rage... hatred... love... sorrow... yearning..." Salem's soothing voice echoes through the chamber, directly into Cinder's ears. "Whichever emotion you are pouring into your magic, it must also be controlled. You made the mistake of believing you were truly powerful, when in reality, all you were doing was overpowering lessers with brute strength. Even your so called barrier is nothing but a burst of magic that you can not sustain for a prolonged period of time."

Cinder breathes heavily as she outstretches her arm that feels as heavy as lead.

"Remember this Cinder, there is no victory in brute strength alone. So do not disappoint me."

The corners of her eyes burst with flames and she channels magic down her arm. A ball of fire erupts above her palm, surging and bubbling with no semblance of control. Cinder grits down on her teeth and narrows her eyes filled with rage and frustration.

_'Submit!'_

Salem's unnatural eyes imperceptibly glint as the uncontrolled surging subsides for a moment, before Cinder collapses due to exhaustion. A pale white finger flicks the air, and the unrestrained ball of fire collapses into itself and extinguishes.

"You have five minutes of rest, then we resume."

***** Patch *****

Ruby shudders as her eyes refocus and clarity returns. She looks up at Jaune with tired eyes.

"H-how was it?"

"There was a reaction, but it was not as violent as the one at Mountain Glenn," Jaune responds with a nod. "I suppressed it before it would run rampant and cause any damage."

"I guess that's some form of improvement?" Ruby says uncertainly.

"We both have a lot to improve upon," Yang gently says as she pats her sister on the back.

"Are we going to try again?"

Jaune shakes his head.

"No. That is enough for today. This type of training is mentally strenuous, thus must not be recklessly rushed. This session's mental and emotional toll of you is quite evident. and you'll need time to process the experience as well."

Sighing in relief, Ruby asks hopefully, "If that's the case, then what about our ability to sense qi? You promised you'd look into it."

"Indeed I did," Jaune nods. "Take a seat beside each other. Keep your legs crossed and backs straight."

As they comply with his instructions, Jaune places a palm on each of their backs.

"Close your eyes and focus. Become one with your breath and sink into the depths of your inner world."

Neo looks over curiously as Jaune sends a faint stream of qi through his palm and into the two sisters. With impeccable control and care, he guides the qi and slowly begins to circulate it through their system.

Ruby scrunches her brow in concentration. From her perspective, there is an odd warm sensation coming from Jaune's palm. It feels different than body heat, but she just can't put a finger on what that difference actually is. She does her best to follow the source of the warm sensation from Jaune's palm into her body. She feels like there is _something_ there circulating through her, but is not sure whether it could be her overactive imagination. Her breathing slows to a crawl as she falls into meditation.

_'Good._'

Jaune mentally nods as Ruby's slight fidgeting subsides and the tension in her body loosens.

Yang closes her eyes and tries to focus on her breathing.

"Clear your minds of all extraneous thoughts. Only you, your breath, and world exist. When harmonize your mind with the world, the qi of Heaven and Earth will become apparent."

He gradually increases the flow of qi into them as they silently remain seated for a quarter of an hour with no visible change.

Jaune recites a common Daoist mantra.

"Be aligned and tranquil, and only then do you reach stability. With a stable mind at your core, your mind's eyes and ears become clear. You must coil, you must contract. You must uncoil, you must expand. Chase away the excessive. Abandon the trivial. Relaxed and unwound, yet acutely sensitive. In solitude you delight in your own person. Revolve the vital breath of qi and become one with the world."

After several more minutes, Jaune feels the slightest of fluctuations in the qi he is circulating through Ruby. As the "tugs" become more frequent, he slowly removes his palm from her back, cutting off the flow of qi and leaving the remainder within Ruby without his control. He keeps a careful eye on her as her face turns a red from intense concentration.

Struggling for several second, she barely manages to prevent the qi from running rampant through her system. Right when she loses control, Jaune lightly taps her back with a fingertip, dispelling the qi within her.

Her eyes gradually open and she turns around to face Jaune with an excited expression. Even though it was only for a few second, she definitely "felt" something and was able to grasp it momentarily. Jaune holds a finger up to his mouth, signaling her to remain silent.

Ruby realizes that Yang is still sitting beside her with Jaune continuing to guide his qi through her.

Ruby turns to face Yang as Jaune patiently continues to guide his qi through her.

* * *

Yang's brow scrunches as she has been unable to clear her mind since she'd started. No matter how hard she tries to clear her mind, various thoughts continue to plague her. Without the usual daily distractions, her thoughts and concerns she normally keeps buried inside begin to bubble up to the surface.

_'I made a promise to myself that I have to get stronger... better... so that history won't repeat itself. But I'm at a worse place than ever. I lost an arm... I'm a cripple. Blake and Weiss are gone too. Ruby is in constant danger. People think I'm a ruthless thug due to that incident during the Vytal Tournament...'_

Unbeknownst to Yang, her breathing grows slightly erratic.

_'To encourage me, Jaune demonstrated with his sparring match with Neo that I can reach greater heights despite my handicap. He even spent effort to tailor a training manuscript for me. But... what if he's wrong? What if, despite the attention he's giving me, he miscalculated, and is a complete waste of time? After all, no one can be absolutely perfect, right? Am I good enough? Can I be good enough? I'm not sensing any of this qi he talks about. What am I even doing?'_

"Yang," Jaune's voice rings out, snapping Yang out from her trance.

"We will stop here for now," he says softly.

"R-right. That sounds good," Yang manages to stutter, still dazed from what she'd just experienced. She wipes the sweat drenching her brow.

With a worried expression, Ruby tries to cheer her sister up. "I'm sure you'll get it next time. There's always next time."

Yang weakly smiles, "Thanks sis."

_'The qi grew incredibly erratic. If it was left alone, she would have suffered internal damage.' _Jaune mentally sighs. _'For an internal demon to plague her mind so severely, and at such a young age...'_

Neo's head perks up with narrowed eyes, and she disappears from view as she cloaks.

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Glynda appear on the other side of the field coming towards them, accompanied by Coco and Velvet. Each of them carrying dark or worried expressions as they approach.

_'Hmm...'_

"This is quite the unexpected company. Is there something wrong?" Jaune casually asks.

Pyrrha steps forward.

"Well... it's about you, Jaune. Coco and Velvet rushed here to Patch because they came across some... concerning news."

_'Is it about what I suspect it to be?'_

"Then perhaps we should make ourselves comfortable before we discuss negative news."

Jaune waves an arm through the air, bringing out a medium-sized mahogany table with enough chairs for each of them. As he takes a seat, he gestures to the other seats.

"Come. Let us enjoy some tea."

Ruby, Yang, and Glynda mentally sigh, before shrugging to themselves and find their seats.

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Coco, and Velvet remain standing in shock as they are not quite as used to Jaune's miraculous actions, especially Coco and Velvet. They continue to stare wide eyed as Jaune hums to himself and waves his hand once again, this time bringing out a simple tea set.

Jaune grasps with his hand, condensing the moisture in the air, and fills the pot. A miniscule wisp of Vermillion Bird essence enters the water, purifying and warming the water to optimal temperature and condition. As Jaune drops the tea leaves inside to infuse, he glances up at the still standing group with an inquisitive look.

"It would be a shame to drink tea while standing, though if that is what you'd all prefer..."

"R-right," the group manages to mutter as they finally step forward to take their seats around the table.

Jaune lifts the tea pot with his divine sense and begins to pour into their cups.

"Okay," Nora says incredulously. "Is no one really going to say anything about that?"

She wildly gestures at the tea pot floating in the air.

"Nora, I understand, but now is not the time," Ren sighs, causing Nora to pause. She seems to remember the original reason for why they are here and she slumps down into her chair, keeping an incredulous eye on the floating tea pot.

Coco clears her throat, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Okay, anyways... might as well get to the point. There's been a bit of a development regarding the situation with _that_ photo that was spread through the Vale net."

She glances at Jaune, who is sipping from his cup unperturbed by the news.

Coco sighs and continues, "Currently, there is a divide in public opinion on the photo. One side believe that given the circumstances, such an outcome, while tragic, is not criminal. Meanwhile, the other side believe that it was cruel and unnecessary because many of them were simply misguided teenagers."

She pauses and involuntarily shudders, recalling her memories of that night. Sometimes, she could still smell the iron in the air. Coco brings her cup of tea up to her nose and takes in the aroma. The stress and tension in her body seemingly melts away as she takes a small sip. A sigh of relief escapes from her mouth as she places her cup down.

"So, that's the context of the current situation in Vale. As for the main reason why we'd rushed here... there's been another leak during the last 24 hours or so," Coco looks directly at Jaune and takes her sunglasses off, worried eyes exposed.

"They've finally revealed the identity of the one in the photo. Soon... everyone's going to know your name and face..."

Ruby and Yang gasp in shock, while Glynda sadly sighs to herself. In the back of her mind, she'd been fearing that something like this would happen eventually.

The group turn their heads back towards Jaune, whose expression is tranquil as he continues to enjoy his tea.

"I see," he simply respond as he sets his cup down.

"I see?" Velvet loudly whispers. "What do you mean by _'I see'_?! Don't you realize that you're going to become a pariah?! You won't be able to show your face to the public anymore without half of the population wishing you were in prison... or worse!"

Velvet's voice escalates from a whisper to a shout.

Coco reaches out and grabs Velvet's arm, bringing her back down into her seat.

Jaune gently shakes his head with a smile.

"What does it matter what the population thinks of me? Such things are utterly mundane, and I couldn't care less. I do not regret what I had to do that night, and I would do it again to greater numbers if necessary. Though, I greatly appreciate your concern for my well-being."

Velvet casts her gaze to the side, blinking drops of tears away.

"So what now?" Coco tiredly asks. "You've made it clear that you don't really care, but the tension between the two groups is beginning to grow. Rallies on both sides are getting organized, and I think it's only a matter of time before it gets violent. Combined with the general distrust of Atlas, the Grimm attacks at the Kingdom's border, and the fact Professor Ozpin is gone..."

Glynda taps a finger on the table, grabbing their attention.

"For now, it is best to leave any public disturbances in the hands of the Vale police force," she says. "This is not something Huntsmen and Huntresses should concern themselves with. Your duties are to protect the city from any impending Grimm attacks, and I am sure the Council is of the same opinion as well."

_'Though with him here, I doubt a large scale Grimm attack would be a problem.'_ Glynda thinks to herself while sparing Jaune a glance.

Coco nods at Glynda's answer, finding it to be rational. She exchanges a look with Velvet before turning towards Jaune.

"Jaune, the other reason why we'd come here is because we want to apologize for our attitude towards you. Though we are still coming to terms with the bloodshed, we know that it was a choice you made in order to ensure our safety."

An uncomfortable silence falls upon the table as Jaune silently gazes over Coco and Velvet.

"W-we understand if you don't want to accept our apology," Velvet says with a downcast look.

A small smile graces Jaune's face as he asks, "Would you invite guests to a table and serve them tea if any animosity was felt towards them?"

Coco and Velvet raise their heads upon processing Jaune's rhetorical question, and their faces brighten with relief.

The group transitions into casual conversation for several hours, with Nora occasionally demanding for Jaune to perform more "party tricks".

* * *

As the sun begins to set into the horizon, Coco checks her Scroll for the time.

"We should be going now. Night shift for city patrol. Thank you for the tea, Jaune. It is one of the best I've ever had, and trust me, I've been to a **lot** of coffee and tea shops. When you have the time, you have to show me how to replicate it."

"Of course," Jaune nods. "I am glad you enjoyed it."

Everyone else at the table nod to themselves in agreement. Despite the passing time, the temperature of the tea had constantly been at optimal temperature, and there was a mind soothing effect when drunk.

As they stand up to clear the table, Velvet nervously asks, "Could I come visit you sometimes? I'd like some advice on the footwork technique."

Jaune smiles, "You are welcome here at any time."

The tips of Velvet's ears perk up and she nods in gratitude before turning to leave. A slight hop is present in her steps as she catches up to Coco, who sports a grin.

"We should be going as well," Ren comments.

Pyrrha nods, "We are assigned to an early morning shift tomorrow."

"Professor... can't you give us a break and transfer us to the afternoon shift?" Nora hopefully asks.

Glynda adjusts her glasses and sternly responds without any amusement, "This is part of your responsibility as future Huntsmen and Huntresses. I will not give you preferential treatment because you failed to responsibly get rest."

Nora groans and pouts in resignation.

Chuckling, Jaune waves a hand, bringing the table, chairs, and tea set back into his storage ring.

"You know... we're pretty sure that isn't your Semblance," Nora comments. "Is this some sort of weirdo cultivation voodoo you mentioned? What gives?"

Jaune holds up his hand wearing the storage ring.

"Everything is being stored inside of here."

"A ring?" Ren asks.

"I thought you were just making a fashion statement, so I didn't think anything about it," Yang says with a raised eyebrow.

Glynda leans in curiously, taking a closer look. She tilts her head curiously when she notices the surface of the ring seems to ripple, pulsate, and fold within itself.

"This material is not something I am familiar with." She slowly asks, "Where did you get it?"

"This is a storage or an interspatial ring," Jaune says. "I made it myself."

"So, like the name implies, you're able to store items inside the ring? Like an inventory in video games?" Ruby asks in awe. "That's so cool! I assumed that you making things appear and stuff was an ability related to your cultivation."

"If you made it, then what is it made out of?" Glynda presses. "I've never seen such a material before."

Jaune chuckles, "Then my answer may surprise you a great deal. This ring was derived from Dust."

A stunned silence fills the air.

"Dust?!" They all exclaim.

"Two types of Dust were used for crafting this interspatial ring. Gravity and hard light Dust."

"I want to say impossible... but please explain. Such an application of Dust is completely unheard of," Glynda asks, completely entranced.

"In my eyes, the way Dust is currently utilized on Remnant is a great waste of its potential," Jaune sighs. "As for the specific process of creating the interspatial material..."

He waves his hand, bringing out a small gravity Dust crystal.

"Though there was some trial and error involved, the concept itself is simple. To summarize, one must condense space, then keep it contained within a stable vessel."

The gravity dust hovers over his hand, and a small stream of light purple energy flows out, gradually turning the crystal's hue to a dull grey.

"The Dust crystals you are all familiar with are actually filled with impurities. What I've done here is a complete separation of its pure energy within from everything else that is not useful. As you can see, the yield is not much, but the potency and efficiency is many times greater."

The purple mist like energy swirls into an epicenter above Jaune's palm, turning darker as it condenses into a single point.

"Gravity, space, and time are interconnected. One could even say that they are the one and the same. By condensing this energy into a single point, the gravitational force increases, and eventually, space and time will bend and fold into this point," Jaune explains.

He continues to condense the energy until is it nothing but a small black speck floating above his palm. The space around that point ripples and twists for several seconds as the speck saturates with space and time.

Waving his free hand, a hard light Dust crystal appears.

"Once it is fully saturated, it is ready to be stabilized and given form by using hard light."

Like before with the gravity Dust, cyan energy flows out and is then sucked into the black speck.

The group watches in silence and awe as Jaune tightly clenches his hand. A loud crack echoes through the air, and when Jaune opens his hand, a tiny crystal the size of a rice grain hovers above his palm.

"Hmm, about the size of a medium closet," Jaune comments as he drops the crystal into Glynda's hand.

Ruby, Yang, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha gather around Glynda's hand to peer down at the object Jaune had just created.

"How do I use it?" Glynda asks. "Is it even possible?"

"The easiest way is to use qi. However, I believe that Aura can be used as a substitute, but I suspect a great degree of control, quantity, and density is required. If anyone can do it, it would be you."

Glynda picks a blade of grass and sets it on top of the crystal. Then, she narrows her eyes as she begins to concentrate.

A tint of purple glows from her hand as she focuses her Aura, but there is no reaction from the crystal. Her brow scrunches and several drops of sweat form on her forehead as she attempts to further concentrate her Aura.

_'Density...'_

Glynda imagines her Aura in the shape of a thin needle, then imagines it to "poke" an opening on the crystal's surface. Pushing as hard as she could with that imagery, the blade of grass suddenly disappears from her palm.

She releases a breath and concentrates ones more. This time, she uses the imagery of the hook and the blade of grass she wants to extract as she concentrates her Aura. After a dozen seconds, the blade of grass reappears in her hand.

Jaune raises an eyebrow, slightly impressed that she'd succeeded relatively quickly, all things considered.

Wiping the sweat off her brow with a handkerchief, Glynda looks at Jaune with a complicated expression.

_'He does this on a whim in an_ instant...'

Sighing to herself, she asks, "This would be a good tool for everyone to exercise Aura control. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jaune thinks for a moment and nods in agreement. He throws out a handful of gravity and hard light Dust, and within several minutes, identical interspacial crystals are produced for each of them.

"I would not expect any of you to be able to have the same degree of success Glynda had anytime soon, but so long as you do not give up, your Aura control should improve greatly."

"Aside from the training benefits, once we succeed, the practical value of these crystals is another benefit to look forward to," Pyrrha says as she carefully puts the crystal away in a pocket.

"We must be wary. First, there is the issue of potentially losing it due to its small size, so perhaps we should string the crystals as a necklace or some other form of accessory. Second, this becoming public knowledge would be problematic," Ren cautions.

The group nods in agreement. Though these items are nothing special to Jaune, to everyone else on Remnant, this is groundbreaking technology that many would gladly kill for.

"We really should be going now," Ren says as he checks his Scroll.

Jaune nods, then turns towards Pyrrha.

"Next time for our spar?"

"Next time," Pyrrha nods.

* * *

As the members of JNPR leave, Jaune's expression turns serious.

"Neo," he calls out.

The multi-color haired girl appears beside them.

"It would seem that your task of being my doppelganger has grown to be a bit more complicated than initially expected. If you would like to opt out, now is the time. I will not hold anything against you," Jaune sighs.

"Doppelganger?" Ruby, Yang, and Glynda question.

"I'd requested Neo to act as my double for whenever I am traveling outside of Vale's borders," Jaune nods. "Previously, it would have been quite the simple task for her to just wander around the city, but given the most recent information brought by Coco and Velvet..."

Neo silently scoffs while rolling her eyes.

"You're sure?" Jaune asks.

She nods with a serious expression, keeping her eyes locked with his.

"Very well. I will train you to become stronger," Jaune nods gratefully.

"Wait, does this mean you're going to be leaving Vale soon?" Ruby asks.

"The elimination of that creature in Mountain Glenn has officially kickstarted the process of restoring Vale and the CCT. There is not much for me to do at this current time as it will be a waiting game. To avoid sitting around and wasting time, I will be heading North towards Atlas to verify the situation there. Considering the growing distrust towards Atlas by Vale citizens, it would be prudent for me to gather accurate information to report back to Glynda."

"You'll be checking up on Weiss too?" Ruby asks hopefully.

"Of course," Jaune ruffles Ruby's hair. "I intend on checking on Blake as well when I eventually venture East towards Anima."

Ruby feels a weight lift from her shoulders. Given how powerful Jaune is, Weiss should be in good hands.

"When?" Glynda asks.

"If nothing unexpected occurs, I plan on departing tomorrow afternoon."

"In that case, I'd like to request that you deliver several letters to James. It would save several days worth of time, and prevent any chance of interception."

"I will stop by your office tomorrow before I leave," Jaune nods.

Thanking Jaune, Glynda departs from the Patch home for the transport docks back to Vale.

***** Patch Home *****

When Jaune enters his room, he locks the door behind him and seals the room with his divine sense. He walks to the window and opens it, allowing a raven to fly in.

"What brings you here tonight Raven?"

"I can't come visit a friend?" She responds sarcastically as she removes her Grimm mask and takes a seat.

"So you're finally venturing out from Vale," Raven says matter-of-factly. "I'm warning you ahead of time that Atlas is not as secure as most imagine it to be. What will you do about unwanted eyes there?"

Jaune shrugs and waves his hand, bringing out several items from his ring.

"The simplest solution is often times the best one."

Raven picks up a blank white mask and quirks an eyebrow as she eyes a dark blue hooded cloak on the ground as well.

"Quite the strange outfit," she bluntly comments.

"Says the woman wearing a Grimm mask," Jaune says.

"The point of my mask is to strike fear and intimidate," Raven sighs. "While your goal, I'm presuming, is to remain inconspicuous."

Jaune shrugs, "I still think it's pretty fashionable. Besides, if I don't want someone to see or hear me, they won't."

Raven grunts, knowing that Jaune is exaggerating.

She looks down at her interlocked hands for a moment, then looks up with a complicated expression and asks, "Can you explain to me what happened with Yang earlier? Something clearly went wrong."

"I suppose as her mother, you have the right to know," Jaune sighs. "Essentially, she is suffering from an internal struggle. Though struggles with oneself is useful and natural for personal growth, an extreme case can be detrimental and dangerous. There is a great mental block she is struggling to go past, and the intensity suggest that it is not stemming from a recent development. Rather, it is a long existing problem that is surfacing due to recent events."

An uncomfortable silence falls upon the room, and Jaune seriously regards Raven.

"I am curious... what exactly was your reason for leaving Yang and Taiyang?"

Raven's breath hitches for a moment, not expecting Jaune to suddenly ask such a question. Her eyes waver for a moment before quickly blinking it away.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She responds with some steel in her voice.

"Do not play dumb with me," Jaune calmly says.

After several moments, Raven finally diverts her gaze to the side.

"You wouldn't understand-" Raven catches herself and she sighs. "Well, maybe **you** would understand... But what's done is done. It is not like I can go back in time to change my decisions."

After another pause, Jaune quietly asks, "Do you realize that Yang's usual personality is nothing but a mask? That underneath that later of self-confidence, she is vulnerable and confused child?"

Raven is taken aback, then she glares daggers at Jaune.

"Do not dare to insult me in such a manner," She nearly yells.

"So despite not being around her for the majority of her life, you care enough to recognize your daughter's insecure nature," Jaune quietly continues. "Yet... you choose to distance yourself, knowing fully well that it hurts her. Why?"

Raven's breathing becomes uneven.

"I don't have any other choice," she grits. "Do you think I willfully chose this?... **She** was turning traitor, and I was the only one able to-"

Raven bites her tongue, stopping herself.

Jaune narrows his eyes in thought.

"Are you perhaps... alluding to the previous Spring Maiden?"

Raven picks up her mask and stands up.

"I've already said too much," she curtly says, before cutting through the air to create a portal.

Before stepping through, Raven whispers, "Help her. Please."

Jaune stares at the spot Raven had disappeared from, ruminating within his thoughts.


	24. Chapter 24

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to RWBY**

**NOTE: Thank you everyone for being patient with the slow releases, as well as to those kind enough to spend their time to leave a review. I read through every review and am always open to constructive criticism or suggestions as I want this story to be as great as I can possibly make it.**

The guards shift uncomfortably as a dark mood takes over the throne room.

"Explain it to me once more," Sienna says in a low voice. Her nails dig deeply into the wood.

"He has defected and was last seen going West, presumably to Sanus, and most likely, Vale." Adam reports while kneeling on a knee with his head down. "In addition, several of our brethren are missing from their respective posts, likely defected as well."

"And _why _do you believe he's taken such an action?" Sienna slowly asks.

"Among the casualties of _that_ incident was his brother. The ones who have defected with him also had kin who were victims of that massacre. The most logical conclusion is they are driven by revenge, one greater than the hatred they feel towards the general human public and the SDC," Adam responds neutrally.

Sienna loudly sighs and waves a hand, dismissing the guards from the room. When they leave, she rubs her temples with her eyes closed as she processes the current situation.

"We still have brethren situated near Vale, but they have not responded to our messages for over a week. I have a very difficult time believing that **all** of them are working with Lieutenant Banesaur..." She mutters. "This is all very strange, and something does not quite add up."

"Then send me," Adam requests with his head down. "I'll get down to the bottom of this, if you'll be gracious enough to grant me another chance."

Sienna raises an eyebrow, then thinks for a moment.

"Though I'd previously sentenced you to remain in HQ... perhaps I should rescind that order." She slowly nods to herself.

"Very well. Seeing that he was previously under your command, it is only right that you be the one to deal with him. Go to Sanus and investigate what exactly is going on, and if possible, apprehend Banesaur. Be cautious... I have a sneaking suspicion that Banesaur's vendetta is not the only factor at work. Take care not to make any hasty decisions while you are there."

Adam's hand balls into a tight fist. Finally, a chance at redemption.

"As you command. I will head out tonight."

He stands up and salutes. As he turns on his heels to exit, Sienna whispers just loud enough for Adam to hear.

"Be careful..."

* * *

A burly masked Faunus is sitting on top of a log in front of a tent, cleaning his weapon. His head tilts up as an even larger figure approaches with several armed Faunus accompanying him with wary eyes.

"So, you're an acquaintance to that Cinder woman?" Banesaur bluntly asks.

Hazel slowly nods, "Yes."

His naturally deep voice rumbles the air like thunder, causing the surrounding Faunus to feel greatly intimidated.

"She did not leave the greatest impression in my mind when she burned dozens of our brethren to death," Banesaur says. "So what makes you think that I would give you any more of my time?"

"Do not pretend that you actually cared about them," Hazel neutrally responds, then glances at Banesaur's weapon covered in blood. "Just a few hours ago, you mercilessly slew the White Fang that were stationed here."

Banesaur pauses cleaning his chainsaw, and sets it on the ground by his side.

"They were fools who remain loyal to coward leader Sienna Khan. I could not risk revealing our exact location near Vale. Not before we get our revenge on Jaune Arc," he growls. "Spit it out. What do you want? You're obviously not here just to say hello."

"The employer of Cinder and myself is interested in working together with you," Hazel says. "We can guarantee you that you will be interested."

Banesaur leans forward.

"Oh? How so?"

"Before I say anything else, how does the White Fang currently feel about the attack on Beacon and Vale?" Hazel questions.

Banesaur scoffs with disdain, "The majority of them think it was a mistake. Especially Sienna Khan. She knows who Jaune Arc is and what he did that night. It was confirmed by those who'd managed to escape. Yet, she chose to merely leak that photo with no name attached, solely to garner sympathy from the masses to offset any perceived negative view of the White Fang. Utter coward."

He glares directly into Hazel's impassive eyes.

"I'm different from those weaklings, and so are all the brethren here who have chosen to follow me. Blood will be paid with blood, and we will get our revenge!"

The Faunus surrounding them bristle with fury, clearly in agreement with Banesaur.

Hazel deeply sighs to himself.

_'This could be a very big mistake. The Mistress has stressed repeatedly not to trifle with the Arcs without careful consideration. These fools have no idea what they are messing with... Not that it matters. We only need them for a small portion of our plans."_

"If bloodshed is what you desire, and you believe that the attack on Beacon was the correct course of action, what say you to striking at another Huntsmen academy?"

Banesaur leans back and crosses his arms.

"Which one?"

"How do you feel about Haven Academy in particular?" Hazel asks.

Banesaur maniacally grins underneath his mask.

"A chance to get rid of that old fool of a traitor Lionheart? Tell me more."

_'I suppose that works... so long as he gains interest,' _Hazel thinks to himself.

* * *

***** In a remote dark forest *****

A lone woman of medium stature with long auburn hair treks alone through a dead forest. Within this forest, the sky remains gray and no vegetation grows from the land. The branches of the trees lay bare without leaves, and a permanent cold layer of mist limits visibility.

Her body is covered with heavy armor marred with damage from a recent battle. Despite her average height and build, she does not seem to be hindered by her bulky armor, nor by the large kite shield across her back. She cautiously traverses through the forest while making as little noise as possible. Her eyes constantly scan her vicinity for potential threats. This forest is notorious for taking the lives of many capable Huntsmen, and shes does not plan on adding to that number due to carelessness. She suddenly pauses her steps and brings an arm up to reach for her shield.

A cold chill runs down her spine and her instincts scream. Without thinking, she turns on her heels and lifts up her shield just in time to intercept an unknown object. The force of the impact makes her heels to dig into the forest's permafrost soil.

She slightly lowers her shield and looks up at a branch, finding a humanoid figure landing on it into a perched position. Its features are hidden by the shadows.

The figure stands up and hops down onto the ground, then steps into view.

"Heather Shields," Tyrian chuckles, his face menacingly illuminated by the moonlight. "It truly is your lucky night."

Heather silently depresses a button on her shield, activating its hidden mechanisms. The kite shield splits down the middle and a hidden shaft extends out. The edges of the kite shield flair out, giving them a sharp edge. She tightly grips her double axe and glares warily at this unknown man. Just now, he'd casually said her name, and based on his demeanor, he is not looking to just say hello.

"And who are you?" She slowly asks.

Tyrian bows dramatically.

"Tyrian Callows at your service," he replies. His head tilts up and he flashes a mad smile. "And tonight is your lucky night, because you've been chosen to be sacrificed for my goddess!"

Without warning, he dashes forward at high speed and extends his claw-like weapons from his wrists.

Mentally cursing her luck, Heather lifts her axe above her head. Taking in a quick sharp breath, she infuses her Aura into her weapon, then swings it down with great force and speed using a single hand. A thick cleave of flashing Aura blade rages through the air at Tyrian.

When Heather had begun to lift her axe, Tyrian's ears had picked up on the subtle change in air pressure. He preemptively kicks off the ground and cartwheels sideways through the air, easily dodging her attack. The large Aura blade tears through the ground and blows apart a tree in the background.

Having taken into account Tyrian could dodge her attack, Heather twists the handle of her weapon, separating one of the shield halves from the shaft. With the flick of an arm, the half-shield secures onto her left arm in midair. In a smooth motion, she swings that arm down and channels her Aura into that shield half, activating her Semblance.

Based on the current sound cue, Tyrian predicts the speed of her arm's trajectory and begins to move accordingly. However, Heather's arm instantly speeds up without warning, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. Having no other choice, he brings his arms up to block. Despite reinforcing himself with Aura, the force behind Heather's shield bash sends violent shockwaves throughout his body, causing his head to ring as he flies backwards through the air.

Tyrian skids to a stop several yards away by digging his claws into the dirt. He straightens himself and tilts his head curiously.

"You suddenly sped up, catching me off guard. Bravo Miss Shields," Tyrian slowly claps. "Was that your Semblance?"

Heather twirls her axe with great dexterity and glares at Tyrian.

"Who knows?" She grits before widening her stance in preparation for the next exchange.

Tyrian casually shrugs before cracking his neck. He squats down like a frog and flexes his legs, strengthening the muscles with his Aura. He explosively launches himself towards Heather like an arrow.

_'What is he up to?'_ Heather wonders as she takes a deep breath and charges her axe with Aura.

_'Try dodging this in midair!'_

Heather swings down directly onto Tyrian's head like a lightning strike. Her eyes widen with shock when Tyrian suddenly twists to the side, seemingly defying physics, and dodges her blow. He suddenly appears to her left, so she brings her shielded arm up to block his claws. As her right arm lifts to counter with her axe, she feel something pierce her neck, where it is unprotected by her armor.

The axe drops from her lifted hand, and blood pools out from her mouth. Her trembling eyes gaze upwards, finding a large scorpion tail coming from underneath Tyrian's coat.

_'A... Faunus...'_

Heather's vision begins to grow dark.

_'B-but... My Aura...'_

She notices clumps of dirt on Tyrian's tail.

_'That's how he dodged in midair...'_

Her eyes roll backwards and she crumbles to the ground.

* * *

A lone crow soars through the night skies. Its red eyes constantly searching the grounds below like a hawk. The sound of clashing metal echoes through the air, alerting Qrow. Rapidly flapping his wings, he changes direction towards the sound.

As Qrow approaches, a male voice madly cackles.

_'Not good!'_

Qrow draws his wings in and dives down. As he approaches the ground past the mist, his stomach sinks when he sees an armored female with familiar auburn hair laying motionless in a pool of blood.

_'Heather!'_

His eyes turn bloodshot as he transforms in midair and swings his sword at the man standing over his friend's body.

Tyrian's celebratory laughter is cut short as his ears twitch. Without hesitation, he dives forward and rolls across the ground. He skids to a stop and turns around, eyes narrowing to focus on the new arrival.

Qrow stands protectively in front of Heather's body and holds his weapon ready. His eyes glare daggers at the man standing before him. Thick killing intent exudes from him and fills the air, causing the surrounding forest to go deathly silent.

Uncaring for the pressure coming from Qrow, Tyrian leans forward and tilts his head from side to side. A look of recognition finally appears on his face, and he begins to clap with glee.

"Well," Tyrian grins. "If it isn't Qrow Branwen. Today truly is my lucky day. She will surely be pleased with me..."

_'She?...'_

"Salem," Qrow growls.

A frown appears on Tyrian's face.

"To use such a tone while uttering her sacred name... Such disrespect warrants death!"

Without further warning, he lunges forward with his claws extended. Qrow swings his sword, knocking Tyrian's arms to the side, then kicks out at his torso.

To avoid the kick, Tyrian's tail slams onto the ground and springs his body up into the air above Qrow. He spins forward, swinging his tail down onto Qrow from above.

Qrow stabs his sword into the ground and depresses its secondary handle. Within a split second, the blade expands and segments, before curving into the blade of a scythe. As a result, Qrow is sprung through the air following the direction the curve, escaping from Tyrian's tail.

He lands gracefully and switches his weapon back into sword form. Then he depresses another trigger to reveal the barrel of gun. He quickly fires off several Dust rounds.

A pair of barrels appear from Tyrian's wrists and he fires his own hail of bullets. The Dust rounds intercept each other in midair, causing a firework of explosions and kicks up a mixture of soil and dust.

From the cloud of debris, Qrow sprints out and swings the backside of his sword at Tyrian's neck. As Tyrian brings his arms up to block, Qrow depresses a trigger once again, causing the blade to curve around towards Tyrian's back. Qrow fiercely pulls his weapon towards himself, drawing the blade of the scythe onto Tyrian like a guillotine.

Tyrian lifts his tail up between himself and the blade, and actively concentrates a large amount of Aura to reinforce it. He winces from the impact, then grins at Qrow viciously. He swipes a clawed hand at Qrow's chest with his Semblance activated.

An ominous feeling washes over Qrow when he sees Tyrian swipe at him. Obeying his battle hardened instincts, he undoes his scythe and jumps backwards. The tips of Tyrian's fingers barely nicks Qrow's chest, tearing away a sliver of his Aura. A gleam flashes in Tyrian's eyes, and he strikes his tail out.

Qrow manages the knock the tail away, preventing himself from being stabbed, but the sharp tip of Tyrian's tail still manages to graze his skin. Almost immediately, a burning sensation begins to spread from the cut.

_'Shit.'_

Qrow mentally curses as he presses a hand onto the wound. Despite the minuscule amount of venom, Qrow's vision immediately begins to blur and his muscles grow weak.

He tries to take a step, but stumbles as his knees buckle. His joints begin to shiver and his bones feel as if they're filled with molten lead.

Tyrian strolls towards Qrow with his tail raised. As he reels it back to deal the finishing blow, a metallic sound rapidly approaches from his front. He jumps backwards just in time to avoid a curved dagger from striking him. A long chain is attached to the weapon's handle and trails into the darkness of the forest.

The face of confidence on Tyrian falters when he sees the weapon. His body unintentionally goes tense when a feminine figure walks out from the shadows.

The woman who'd just arrived is dressed in a simple white gown. Her sleeves are unusually spacious and just long enough to keep her hands hidden. An elegant ornament in the shape of feathers decorates the sides of her head above her ears. From her ears, a small set of crescent moon earrings glitter against the moonlight.

As she gracefully strolls forwards towards Qrow, her mid-shoulder length blonde hair trails behind her as light as the wind. She briefly acknowledges Tyrian with an impassive stare from her aquamarine eyes, before setting her attention back onto Qrow. She reaches into her sleeve and withdraws a small glass vial. She kneels down and lifts Qrow's head to pour the contents of the vial down his throat. She pinches his nose, forcing him to swallow the liquid in his unconscious state. Qrow's breathing immediately begins to stabilize and his trembling greatly reduces.

Nodding in satisfaction, she sets him back down down and stands back up to face Tyrian, who had not moved from his position since this woman had arrived.

She tilts her head before sighing, "Did you not learn your lesson the last time you stepped foot onto Anima? Tyrian Callows."

Her soft spoken voice seems to permeate throughout the air.

Madness rages across Tyrian's eyes and he growls, "Bitch. I'll slaughter you this time."

Showing no reaction to Tyrian's comment, the woman lightly flicks her wrist, quietly dislodging her weapon from the ground and catches it. She walks several yards away from Qrow's position, and reaches into her sleeve to retrieve two more identical weapons. She holds the weapons between her fingers and throws them out. Two of them fly adjacent into the darkness of the forest, while the middle one flies straight towards Tyrian's head.

Tyrian's eyes squint, trying to focus on the movement around him. He dodges the middle chained dagger at the last second, tumbling across the ground. His head whips back and forth, searching for the other two. The woman's voice buzzes directly into his ear.

"You should watch your sides as well."

Tyrian growls in frustration and ignores the woman's words. He brings his arms up and fires Dust rounds rapidly while sprinting around her perimeter. While doing so, he keeps a close eye on his surroundings. Once again, the woman's voice speaks into his ear.

"Watch your back," the woman says.

_'Bluffing again. Like I'll fall for-'_

One of the curved daggers slithers out from the darkness without a sound and strikes at Tyrian's back like a viper. Tyrian stumbles from the blow and reels around, only to find that the weapon had retreated back into the darkness. Furiously cursing under his breath, he forgoes caution and lunges directly at the woman.

The woman remains standing in her position as calm as water. Her expression does not change in the face of Tyrian rapidly approaching her position. Before he could get within arm's reach, dozens of chains that were buried beneath the ground erupt out and twist together to form a barrier between the two fighters. From the wall, several chains separate and strike at Tyrian, who jumps high into the air and lands on a branch. He begins to jumps between branches at high speed, looking for an angle of opportunity.

Like water, the chain barrier shifts its position around the woman as Tyrian ricochets between the branches. Her eyes never losing track of Tyrian's position. Cursing loudly, Tyrian retreats further away, cloaking into the darkness.

The wall of chains falls and the woman waves her arm, dispersing them across the forest floor and trees. She calmly closes her eyes and focuses for any disturbances to her web.

Tyrian slowly and methodically crawls from branch to branch. His eyes are much more suited for darkness and glow purple as a result. He positions himself onto a branch facing her back. With a vicious grin, Tyrian digs his claws into the branch and anchors himself at an angle. He flexes the muscles in the legs and compresses his tail like a spring. He rockets off the branch like a bullet and flies out from the darkness.

The woman's eyes snap open and she raises an arm behind herself. Underneath her sleeve, her fingers move intricately like master puppeteer, manipulating her network of chains with near perfect Aura control. The numerous chains come to life and surround Tyrian in midair, and despite their numbers and rapid movement, they make no noise.

Tyrian madly roars and activates his Semblance. In a frenzies midair dance, he strikes at every chain he would reach using his arms, legs, and tail. A gleam of victory flashes across his eyes when the ones he stuck go limp and collapse lifelessly.

_'I knew it! She's controlling them with Aura!'_

He bursts through the chains in front of him, ignoring the ones that strike him repeatedly from behind and rapidly deplete his Aura. He only needs enough for a single strike with his Semblance, then his victory would be ensured.

He lands next to the woman on all four limbs with his tail raised up high. Immediately, the tail strikes out, imbued with his Semblance and dripping with his deadly venom. His tongue hangs out in ecstasy, confident that victory and revenge was at hand.

_'Her weapon choice means she must be weak in close quarters. This is my win, bitch!'_

Or so he'd thought.

Facial expression as calm as when the fight had begun, the woman brings a hand up and deflects the tail away using the back back of her hand. She then steps forward and stomps into a horse stance. Drawing strength from her legs and core, her other hand curls into a fist and fiercely punches Tyrian in the face.

The little Aura Tyrian had left shatters, and the full force of the woman's blow is transferred into his skull. With a loud crack, his nose breaks and bends into a odd angle. A trail of blood traces the air as Tyrian's body skips across the ground before slamming into a tree. Wasting no time, the woman grabs several of her chains, and whips the daggers down onto Tyrian, intent on finishing him.

Tyrian's mind races as he skips across the ground and his vision fades between red and black. He is fully aware that this wench would not waste an opportunity to follow up on her strike. Through his teary eyes, he spots his chance at escape as he tumbles. He mentally worships his goddess for granting him such luck.

For the first time since the fight had begun, the woman's unchanging expression suddenly shifts. Her eyebrows twitch in annoyance when Tyrian suddenly extends an arm out and fires several Dust rounds at Qrow, who is still unconscious, therefore, completely defenseless. Having no other choice, she flicks her wrist to divert her weapons to shield Qrow. When she looks back to where Tyrian was, he is nowhere to be found.

She channels her Aura through her chains and throws them out into all directions, but is unable to sense any sign of the scorpion Faunus.

"I was careless," she sighs. "I'm going to get scolded when I return."

She turns her head towards Qrow, who is beginning to stir awake. Locating a log near him, she quietly sits down atop of it and waits patiently.

* * *

Qrow groans as his eyes crack open. As his memories start to return, his eyes snap open in alarm and he quickly sits up, ignoring the urge to scream from the pain in his body. He exhales a cold breath as he scans his vicinity. When he finally turns check his hear, he nearly falls over due to an unknown woman quietly staring at him.

"Who... are you?" He cautiously asks.

The woman politely bows while seated.

"Greetings Qrow Branwen. My name is Camellia," she says softly.

Qrow immediately grows alert, noticing she'd referred to him by his name.

Keeping his voice calm, he asks, "Should I assume that you saved me from that maniac? By all accounts, I'm pretty sure I should be dead."

Camellia nods, then glances over at Heather's body.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to get here in time to save your companion."

Qrow's eyes grow dark when he sees Heather's lifeless corpse.

"I can't even save my friend or avenge her. Then I nearly died in the process..." Qrow says in a low voice. He stares blankly at Heather's body.

"If it is of any comfort, she would have died almost instantly. Tyrian Callows' venom is dangerously potent," Camellia says softly.

"Tyrian Callows," Qrow growls with rage simmering in his eyes. After a moment, he closes his eyes and sadly sighs.

"So, Camellia, what brings you all the way out here? This is the middle of nowhere and is hardly a place that most Huntsmen should ever come to."

"I was assigned to track down and eliminate Tyrian Callows. We have been keeping tabs on him for quite some time," Camellia replies.

"... We? Assigned?" Qrow slowly questions.

Camellia thinks for a moment.

"I suppose you may think of them as my employers?"

_'Why is that a question?'_ Qrow mentally raises an eyebrow.

"I see..." Qrow grunts as he reaches into his shirt for his flask. He unscrews the cap and takes a long drink.

"You said my name earlier. That means you know who I am."

"You are rather... notorious in certain circles," Camellia simply replies.

"Fair enough," Qrow says, despite sensing that this Camellia woman was dodging his questions to some extent. "Not to brag, but I'd place myself at a much higher level than most Huntsmen. My point is that _Tyrian_ was good enough to get the better of me, yet here I am, alive and well. So what does that say about your skill level?"

Qrow leans forward.

"Isn't it strange that I've never heard the name Camellia before on any Huntsmen ranking or mission board?"

Camellia shakes her head and lightly responds, "That is because I am not an officially licensed Huntress."

"A mercenary?" Qrow leans back and raises an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Pretty rare to find one as powerful as you. Typically, mercenaries are those who don't have what it takes to become licensed Huntsmen, or were revoked of their license."

"I never found the need for one. Having one would not make me a better fighter, and I do not enjoy bringing attention to myself," she says.

"Hmm," Qrow nods, then turns his gaze back towards Heather. He spends several minutes just staring before pushing himself onto his feet. He limps to her side and kneels down. Silently apologizing under his breath, he begins to remove pieces of her heavy armor.

"What are you doing?" Camellia curiously asks.

"I can't carry her back if she's wearing all this armor," Qrow grunts. "I'm sure she'd prefer to be buried by her family, rather than being left out here. She'd do the same for me if our positions were reversed."

Studying him for a moment, Camellia stands up and walks towards Qrow and Heather. She kneels down and assists Qrow in removing the armor pieces from the more _sensitive_ areas, despite being fully clothed underneath.

"Thanks," Qrow mutters as he moves to undo a shoulder guard.

After about an hour, they finally manage to remove the last of Heather's armor. With a heave of breath, Qrow lifts her body onto his back, ignoring the blood dripping from her neck wound and staining his clothes. He regretfully glances down at the pile of armor and weapons, knowing he couldn't bring them back with him.

Reading his expression, Camellia moves her hand. Several of her chains are reeled in from her network and neatly wrap themselves around Heather's gear to form a bundle.

_'Where did those come from and they did they make no noise?'_

Camellia pulls the chains, dragging the bundle of gear behind herself.

"Don't you have to go after Tyrian?" Qrow asks.

"I am afraid that he is long gone. My current duty is to report back to my... employers, which just so happens to be in the direction you're heading towards."

"If that's the case, I appreciate the help," Qrow nods in gratitude.

The two begin to slowly trek through the dead forest. Though their progress is rather slow, Camellia shows no visible strain or effort as she drags the several ton package behind her with a single arm. Qrow eyes at her from the side.

"You sure you're going to be alright? The weight of Heather's gear is no joke. She was only able to handle it because her Semblance allowed her to reduce the weight of objects she channels Aura through."

"I will be fine," Camellia smoothly responds. "My chains are reinforced with Aura, as well as my body."

"Okay, but you're going to keep that up the entire way? It'll take at least a day of walking to get out of this place."

"It will not be a problem. I have enough Aura to spare without having to place myself in danger."

_'Just how much Aura does she have?!'_

As they walk in silence, Qrow would occasionally glance over Camellia, properly taking in her physical characteristics now that things were calm. Her blonde hair and deep blue eyes raise some flags in his mind, but he writes them off as coincidence. That is, until he finally notices the crescent moon symbol on her dress, as well as her pair of earrings.

Unable to resist, he casually asks, "Say... what was your full name again? I wasn't able to catch it earlier. Camellia..."

He pretends to think.

Camellia turns her head at Qrow and stares. He could swear there was a hint of amusement dancing within those still blue eyes.

"I do not recall mentioning my family name," she finally responds. "But I suppose it does not hurt for you to know. My name is Camellia Arc."

After a pause, Qrow chuckles to himself. Half proud and half surprised that his suspicion was correct.

"An Arc... Suddenly things make a lot more sense."

Camellia tilts her head.

"You say that as if you've met an Arc before. May I ask who?"

Though her tone is casual, her eyes are carefully studying Qrow.

"Well it should be obvious," Qrow laughs. "Since you knew who I am, then you should also know that I'm from Vale."

"Vale..." Camellia says to herself. Her eyes suddenly brighten. "Jaune?"

"You guessed it. He's actually pretty close friends with my nieces in Beacon Academy."

"Beacon..." Camellia mutters, before looking back up at Qrow. "Is he alright? Was he hurt?"

She rapidly fires off her questions, concern dripping from her voice.

_'Guess this verifies it. This is definitely one of Jaune's sisters. Though, it's probably a very safe bet to assume that she and the rest of her family is unaware of his reincarnating situation and all that. So... I'll leave that out and let him deal with that can of worms when the time comes.'_

"The kid's fine. The battle at Beacon roughed him up a bit, but nothing permanent."

Camellia sighs in relief.

"As soon as we'd heard the news, I'd volunteered to rush towards Vale, but..."

"Duty called. I get it," Qrow grunts, while Camellia sadly nods in affirmation.

Several moments of silence pass, until Camellia poses her own question.

"May I ask who trained Jaune during his time at Beacon? We saw his performances during the Tournament, and all I can say is that he has certainly... improved. Quite a bit."

_'Geez, just how bad was this kid before reincarnating?'_ Qrow mentally sweats.

"Ah... well, I gave him a few tips here and there," Qrow quickly fibs. "May have taken a bit of trial and error, but once we found what made him tick, he began to learn pretty quickly."

"... I see," Camellia responds, though she looks rather unconvinced.

_'Uh oh...'_

Qrow mentally sighs when Camellia does not push the subject.

"So uh... there are seven of you?" Qrow asks, trying to change the subject. "I'd heard from the kid that he has seven sisters in total. Where does he fall within the entire lot?"

A rare smile graces Camellia's face.

"I am the third oldest of the sisters. Jaune... he is the youngest out of all of us. He is our baby brother."

"He's actually the youngest!" Qrow exclaims. "Now **that** I did not expect."

Camellia lightly laughs, "He was rather adorable when we used to dress him up as our eighth sister, much to his dismay."

Qrow coughs at the mental image.

"Anyways... I can see that you're stuck with duty, but how come no one else has come to Vale yet? What about your parents?"

Camellia's eyes shift.

"It... is a little complicated," she quietly responds.

Qrow raises an eyebrow, but decides to leave it be. Clearly, it is not a subject she is willing to talk much about.

As the two continue to go through the forest, the two occasionally converse in miscellaneous small talk.

After about a day and a half, they finally arrive at a large wooden gate guarding a small village. Qrow flashes his Huntsmen license up at the guard in the tower, who nods and signals the gate to be opened. He ignores the strange looks directed at him and Camellia from the village residents. Whispers could be heard about Heather on Qrow's back, his bloodied shirt, and the strange blond woman dragging a bundle of heavy armor behind her.

Soon, they arrive in front of a small home near the center of the village. Qrow stares blankly at the door for several minutes before finally mustering up the courage to knock. He mentally braces himself as the sound of footsteps approach.

* * *

***** Vale *****

"I believe that should be everything," Glynda says as she flicks her riding crop, sending a small pile of letters towards Jaune.

Storing them safely inside of his ring, Jaune asks, "You stayed up all night to write extra?"

Glynda stifles a yawn and rubs the dark spots under her eyes.

"It couldn't be helped," she sighs. "I can not afford to squander an opportunity like this. Especially during these trying times."

Jaune places a hand on her shoulder and relieves her fatigue with Vermillion Bird qi.

"My apologies. I should have made it clear that I was going to be leaving so soon after dealing with Mountain Glenn."

Glynda leans back into her chair and stretches her arms while arching her back, feeling rejuvenated.

"When are you expecting to return?"

"Hmm. It is difficult to give an exact answer. Ideally, I would like to be back in Vale within a week. Though, with Neo acting as my double, there is some room for leeway."

"We can only hope that she does not cause any trouble," Glynda sighs.

Jaune chuckles, "She is no idiot. I'm sure she'll do just fine. Besides, Roman is here to keep her in check."

"I still can't believe we're working with that man," Glynda mutters to herself.

Her office windows swing open on their own. Jaune wraps himself in a dark blue cloak and dons a blank mask, completely masking any of his characteristics and features.

"Well, I should be going. Take care while I am gone."

He blurs into thin air and the windows gently snap shut. Glynda approaches the windows and gazes out at Beacon Tower.

"Time to go to work," she sighs. With her riding crop in hand, she strolls out from her office

* * *

A sea of red flashes by as Jaune flies through the skies above Forever Fall. Eventually, the trees begin to thin out and the scenery transitions into a vast plain as far as the eye could see. Green grass as tall as a man carpets every inch of the ground below. The grass sways with the wind, sending rippling waves through the plain.

As Jaune slows himself down. Almost immediately, he notices slithering motions within the grass, and a quick scan of his divine sense verifies that the motions are being made by King Taijitu. In fact, the same effect could be seen all across the grassy fields. Though undoubtedly beautiful, the hidden dangers within the grass makes this place highly unsuitable for settlement.

* * *

After several hours of flight at a casual pace, the sun is begins to set and a treeline finally appears in the horizon. Jaune lowers his elevation to the forest's canopy, taking a mental note of everything he finds as he continues North.

His divine sense suddenly picks up some unusual activity. Jaune pauses when he notices a pair of children frantically stumbling through the forest floor.

A pair of raccoon Faunus no older than the age of 12, male and female, hold onto each other as they flee through the forest. The male's breath stutters due to a deep gash across his back. Though the girl tries her best to support her brother, they both lose their balance and fall onto the ground.

"Fenix! You have to get up!" she begs. "They're going to catch up. You have to get up!"

"J-just go," the boy manages to gasp. "Leave me and run."

"No!" She screams with tears running down her face.

"G-go..." He says before losing consciousness.

Her lips tremble but she does not budge from her spot.

"Found you! You little animals!"

Several rough looking men carrying crude weapons and torches burst through the brushes. They smile greedily as they leer at the young Faunus girl.

"Look how fine of a specimen she is despite the dirt on her face. She'll catch a pretty penny for sure. Shame the male is as good as dead," one of them mockingly says.

"S-someone! Please! Help us!" the girl screams. "Anyone! Please!"

The men pause and look at each other before bursting into laughter.

"There's no one around to help you little animal! It's just you and us."

When one of them extends a hand to grab her, she tightly shuts her eyes. Silence suddenly envelops the area, and the laughter of the bandits abruptly disappear.

The girl cracks an eye open, finding none of the bandits in sight. As she turns her head to look around in confusion, she freezes upon noticing a masked figure standing beside her brother with a hand outstretched. Her eyes widen in panic.

"D-don't touch him!"

The figure pauses and tilts its head towards her.

Though terrified, the girl refuses to break eye contact. Though, for some odd reason, she feels as if the face behind the mask is smiling.

The masked head nods once, as if to tell her that it does not mean harm, then places a hand on her brother. After several seconds, her ears twitch at the sound of her brother's breathing stabilizing, and she could visibly see the color returning to his face.

When the mysterious figure pulls its hand away, she scrambles to her brother's side and finds that the deep wound on his back is completely healed. Her fear transforms into awe as she looks up at the figure, standing silently and looking North.

"T-thank you Mister um... Miss..." she struggles on how to address this figure as the clothing makes it impossible to tell. "T-the bandits attacked our village further North. M-my brother and I barely managed to escape."

The masked figure nods once, then picks the siblings up under his arms.

"Hold on," the figure says in a distorted voice, before bursting into a sprint.

* * *

Unwilling to unnecessarily showcase his abilities, Jaune opts to run rather than fly through the forest, though considering the distance required to travel, it made little difference. Within a minute, Jaune speeds through the burnt village gate and stops at the town square. The scent of burnt wood and blood lingers in the air. Strewn throughout the streets are the corpses of Faunus. With a pulse of his divine sense, Jaune locates those who still live, though mortally wounded. Setting the sibling pair down, Jaune disappears into a blur heal those he finds with his Vermillion Bird qi.

Within several minutes, he lifts his hand away from the last wounded Faunus. He frowns behind his mask. Just to make sure, he scans the entire village several more times.

Jaune promptly reels in his divine sense and molds it into a single strand as thin as hair, greatly reducing the total area he could sense at once, but exponentially increasing the distance. Like a radar, he circles it around him. Once he finds what he is searching for, he jumps into the air and flies East at full speed.

* * *

***** Camp in the East *****

"Gahahaha! Tonight was a good night boys! Did you all enjoy the slaughter?"

A large camp of bandits drink and cheer at their leader's comment. Invading that Faunus village was made infinitely more easy because of the lack of Huntsmen. All thanks to the destruction of the CCT.

The leader of the bandits, a large, bulky, and incredibly ugly man with an uneven nose, leers at the cage in the center of their celebration area. He is surrounded by two female members of the bandits, who seductively trace his chest while mockingly smiling at the Faunus women in the cage.

"Before we sell you animals off, we may as well enjoy them for a night," he says with a disgusting smile, displaying his uneven yellow teeth. "So which one of you will have the pleasure of warming my bed tonight?"

In response to his words, the women in the cage scurry backwards, wanting to get as far away from this disgusting man as possible. The bandit leader's eyes glint with pleasure, reveling in their fear. His attention is caught by a single raccoon Faunus in the front of the group of women in the cage. She is the only one glaring defiantly at him, and to make things even better, she is one of the more beautiful ones they'd captured.

He walks towards the cage and looks right at her.

"Will it be you?"

The woman's hairs stand on end and she loudly growls.

The leader finds this amusing and gruffly laughs, "I've decided! It'll be you. Oh how I'm going to enjoy breaking you!"

He swings the cage door open and roughly grabs her wrist. She scratches and kicks at him furiously, but to no avail. The bandit leader is the only one among them with unlocked Aura, due to when he used to be a Huntsmen.

"Let go of me!" She screams and hisses.

Ignoring her as he drags her towards his tent, he yells out, "Enjoy yourselves as well tonight boys! Don't damage the merchandise too much!"

The men in the camp whistle and cheer as they begin to surround the cage. The women inside scream in terror.

The bandit leader lewdly grins and throws the raccoon Faunus into his tent. The two women who were with him stroll in and hold the her down.

"You should enjoy this while it lasts," one of them snickers.

"It's only going to get worse for you from here on out," the other mocks.

"Good. Keep holding her down," the bandit grins. He reaches down to tear away her clothes.

All of a sudden, a deathly chill descends upon the entire camp.

"W-why is it suddenly so cold?" One of the women's teeth chatters.

Alarmed, the bandit leader grabs his weapon and bursts out of his tent.

"What is going on?!" He roars.

He notices that everyone in the camp have their gaze centered on a cloaked figure standing beside the cage containing the Faunus women. The sheer amount of pressure emitted by this figure has everyone frozen in their tracks. The air is heavy and cold.

The leader activates his Aura and Semblance before pointing his weapon at the intruder.

"Who the f*ck are yo-"

He never finishes his sentence as he suddenly explodes into a cloud of blood.

Panic erupts amongst the bandits, while the Faunus women watch with wide eyes, feeling a great sense of satisfaction at that man's death.

"He just exploded! What the fu-"

Another explodes into mist.

Panic and fear overriding their senses, they begin to flee into all directions. However, none are able to escape from Jaune. He points a finger up into the air, conjuring White Tiger. Invisible blades of qi rapidly fire out into all directions, accurately pinpointing each and every one of the bandits. None are spared, as even the two women in the bandit leader's tent get ground into dust.

After only a few short seconds, a deafening silence fills the air. With a quick swipe of a finger, Jaune cuts the cage open. He points at another cage situated at the edge of the camp, cutting it open and allowing the children inside to rejoin their mothers. By this point, the raccoon Faunus emerges from the tent with wide eyes, as she'd just witnessed those two bandit wenches turn into dust before her very eyes.

As the Faunus children reunite with their respective mothers, the raccoon Faunus frantically scans for her son and daughter.

The masked figure says in distorted voice, "Your children are safe at your village."

She jolts at the figure's voice, then sighs in relief. She gathers herself and bows.

"You have saved us Great One."

"Do you think this person is a Huntsmen?" One of them whispers.

"Have you ever seen or heard of a Huntsmen being able to do something like _that_?"

"Is this even a person? Wasn't what we saw akin to the actions of a deity?"

Murmurs ripple through the crowd.

"A god in physical form came to save us."

"Our savior..."

They begin to get down on their knees to kowtow, while Jaune silently stands there with his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Before they could fully kowtow, Jaune reaches out and prods their minds with his divine sense, rendering them unconscious. He then levitates them into the air and takes them along as he flies back West towards their village.

* * *

Back in the village, the survivors are gathered in the town square. All of them greatly confused by their current situation.

"I remember being stabbed in the stomach..."

"My arrow wounds are gone..."

"Haven't any of you noticed? We are either dead or completely uninjured without a middle. Isn't this strange?"

"Nevermind about that, our children and wives are still missing! We have to go after them!"

"How? We don't even know which way they would have went. Even if we can track them, we won't make it in time."

"Then we just sit here and wait?! You know as well as I do of what they'll do to them!"

"That's not what I said!"

The men finally notice the pair of siblings.

"You two! You managed to escape!"

The girl says, "We ran through the forest, but Fenix got hurt trying to protect me. When the bandits caught up, someone appeared and saved us. Then healed Fenix and brought us back to the village. After that, the figure disappeared."

"Someone? Who?"

"She said this person healed Fenix. Doesn't this coincide with the fact our own injuries are suddenly gone?"

"B-but, there's over fifty of us! How could someone heal that many this thoroughly in such a short period of time?"

Suddenly, woman and children Faunus appear within their midst out from thin air, all sound asleep.

"What the- where did they come from?!"

"Bella?!"

The men begin locating their missing wives and children and rush towards them, who begin to stir awake.

"Mommy!" The two raccoon Faunus sprint towards their mother.

"Fenix! Felma!" She exclaims with teary eyes. They crash into a hug. "Where is-"

"D-daddy didn't make it," Felma sniffs. "We almost lost Fenix too, but we were saved."

The woman's eyes widen and she frantically looks around for any sign of their mysterious savior, but Jaune is nowhere to be found.

Up above the village, Jaune contemplates for a moment and makes a his decision. He brings out a common steel sword and molds a strand of his divine sense into it. Injecting his qi into it, he throws it straight down into the center of the village, silently embedding it into the stone foundation as it penetrates with zero resistance.

_'That should ward off Grimm for some period of time. The sliver of will I've left will be enough to ward off another attack like those bandits, but it will be once and only once. The rest after that will be up to them...'_

Nodding to himself and not sparing another glance, he soars North towards the northern coastlines of Sanus. Not long after, he pauses and gazes towards the eastern.

"Qrow?" He murmurs. He'd suddenly felt a tug in the back of his mind, similar to when Pyrrha was in mortal danger. But just as quickly as the sensation came, it had disappeared, leaving Jaune in deep thought.

"That feeling... Qrow was in mortal danger just now, but it quickly disappeared. Did a third party save him?"

His eyes narrow behind his mask. He finally sighs, then turns back North to continue his journey. If Qrow was no longer in danger, then he should not let it distract him from his current task.

* * *

***** The village *****

"Where did this thing come from?"

"It came down from the sky! Can't you feel the power radiating from it?"

"It must have been left behind by the divine being who saved us!" One of the Faunus women exclaims.

"We must enshrine this place. This is holy ground!"

Though tragedy has struck their village, and many of them had lost loved their loved ones, a sense of hope continues to linger within their hearts. That prayers can be heard and answered.


	25. Chapter 25

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to RWBY**

A figure stumbles across the forest floor, veiled by the shadows of the forest and clouds above. He teeters on his feet as he continues to run, until finally, he collapses against a tree.

Breathing heavily, Tyrian reaches into a pocket and retrieves a Seer Grimm. The pitch black sphere turns to red as it connects to the other side.

"Tyrian," Salem's soothing voice sounds.

"My goddess," Tyrian bows his head respectfully.

Her eyes glance over his broken nose, arm, and ribs.

"What is it you wish to report?"

"As you've instructed, I've taken care of those on the list."

"... And your injuries? None on that list should have had the capability of harming you to such a degree."

A surge of joy wells up within Tyrian.

"After I'd dealt with Heather Shields, I was intercepted by Qrow Branwen."

"One of Ozpin's eyes..." Salem softly says. "And?"

"He was little more difficult to deal with, but I struck him with my tail. When I was about to finish him off..."

Rage flashes across Tyrian's eyes.

"_She_ suddenly appeared. _That _Arc," he snarls, but quickly catches himself and bows his head respectfully.

Salem's eyes slightly narrow.

"Camellia Arc... To escape without permanent injury after facing her can be considered a victory... You've done quite well, Tyrian."

Tyrian deeply bows his head, hiding his fanatical smile.

"Do you wish for me to stay in Anima?" Tyrian croons.

"No. You've done your part for now. Return home."

Salem cuts the communication from the Seer Grimm. She looks down at her hand and clenches it into a fist.

"The Arc bloodline..." She coldly smiles for a brief moment before turning her attention back towards Cinder.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Qrow mutters as the man who'd answered the door collapses onto his knees.

Qrow averts his eyes, unable to meet the gaze of the young child standing at the doorway alongside her father. When Qrow shifts his gaze back towards Camellia, he finds her gone, and in her place is a neat pile of weaponry and armor.

_'She's gone...'_

In the background, a raven takes off from a rooftop.

* * *

***** The Ocean *****

Jaune casually strolls through the air as he appreciates the view of the sun rising. Based on his estimations and current dropping temperatures, the coastline of Solitas should become visible in less than an hour.

_'Hmm?_'

A large structure in the distance catches Jaune's attention.

_'Amity Colosseum.'_

He slightly adjusts his course and quickly catches up to the monolithic structure.

From above the Colosseum's open roof, the stench of decaying bodies that had repeatedly baked in the sun for several weeks lingers in the air, making it heavy.

After the battle, there are not enough time or resources to spare to retrieve the deceased left behind on Amity. As a result, the structure had become a floating casket for the hundreds of civilians, Huntsmen, and students who fell victim to the Grimm within its walls.

"They should be properly sent off," Jaune mutters before diving down into the Colosseum.

Like the wind, he quickly traverses through the stands and corridors, and after several minutes, all of the remains are stored into his ring. He makes his way back up onto the Colosseum stage and waves his hand, bringing out an enormous pile of neatly stacked corpses.

While standing above the pile, Jaune uncorks several bottles of wine, then disperses the liquor across the mound as a fine fragrant mist.

"It would be a shame to not have a final drink before your next journey."

A vermillion flame appears above his palm before he gently pushes it out towards the mound. When the fire touches the mound, the entirety of it ignites instantly. Despite the massive bonfire, there is no smoke or heat. The near divine and purifying nature of his Vermillion Bird qi flame silently disintegrates the corpses into multicolored ash that streams out from the top of the Colosseum and into the sky. Anyone watching from inside the Colosseum would witness a plethora of star like glitters painting the sky above, before slowly fading away.

Jaune approaches the edge of the stage, nearing rusted limbs of metal scattered into several sections.

Placing his hand over them, Jaune mutters, "Though you and I had very limited contact, we are tied by karma, thanks to Ruby."

His divine sense reaches out and reorganizes Penny's body to its original humanoid figure. He waves his hand over the torn body, mending the metal and wires back together with sparks of energy provided by the White Tiger. After a few moments, Penny's body is completely reformed, and aside from her torn clothes, there is no other evidence of damage. Jaune kneels down and places his hand over her lifeless eyes, then gently closes them shut.

"If you were only an artificial lifeform, then simply mending you back together would have awoken you. Yet, as Ruby has asserted, despite your artificial body, your soul was real. Your creator poured their heart out for you and gave you life Penny Polendina, and so, may you rest in peace."

Jaune reaches out and grabs several of Penny's retractable blades, then stores them into his ring.

"Ruby would appreciate a keepsake of her dear friend."

He glances upward as snow begins to drift into the Colosseum. With a hop, he stands above the Colosseum's roof, and gazes out towards the coastline of Solitas in the horizon. Jaune quickly soars away, leaving behind the lonely grave slowly drifting towards Atlas.

* * *

***** Solitas *****

Like an arrow, Jaune shoots through a harsh blizzard as he flies deeper into the continent. The wind and snow avoids him as he soars. Eventually, he pierces through the edge of the storm, finding himself above a large mountain range surrounded by a vast tundra.

The massive central mountain is surrounded on all sides by numerous smaller mountains and hills, creating a natural fortress. The top half of the central mountain has been carved out, creating a foundation for the city of Atlas. Countless skyscrapers, spires, and monolithic structures populate the central part of the city. Atlas Academy looms over the rest of the city as it is situated on top of a platform in the middle of the city.

Jaune gazes out towards the outer rims of the mountaintop. As one travels away from the center, the grand buildings fade into suburban areas, then eventually, into large farmlands. Despite the harsh surrounding environment and temperature, various types of crops seem to have no issue growing on these lands. As Jaune descends closer towards the top of the mountain, a warmth can be felt radiating into the air.

_'An underground heating system laid out across the entire mountaintop. Maintaining this would require an astronomical amount of Dust, but due to the SDC, such a problem is nonexistent. As for the soil's fertility... plant Dust mixed into the fertilizer. Very clever.'_

Despite its humbler appearances, Jaune can clearly see that the residents do not seem to be struggling for food or living quarters. However, he notes that as he approaches the central city, there are less Faunus residents seen.

Once above Atlas Academy, Jaune looks down at the stream of students moving through the academy. All of them are dressed in the same militaristic style of uniform seen during the Vytal Festival.

Jaune disappears from the air and lightly lands in the courtyard of Atlas Academy. No one pays him any heed as he casually strolls through the doors. He takes his time to explore the various facilities, mentally comparing various aspects of the school to Beacon. He pauses and glances downward.

_'It is faint... but is that the current Winter Maiden? Her vital energy is dwindling.'_

As he nears the central tower, he sees a familiar face.

* * *

Winter taps a finger against her arm as she waits for the elevator to arrive at her floor. When the door finally opens, she strolls in and taps in a series of numbers and letters, then scans her military badge. With a lurch, the elevator accelerates towards the top of the tower.

When the elevator slows to a stop, she straightens her back and steps out into the lobby area. She pauses in front of an office door, and takes a moment to take a deep breath, then walks in.

"General Ironwood, sir."

She salutes.

"At ease Winter," Ironwood raises a hand. He gives Winter a small smile.

"If you don't mind, could you brew me some tea? I can never get mine quite right like you do."

Winter relaxes the tension in her shoulders and walks over to a small tea stand located at the side of the room.

"Of course sir."

When Winter sets down a cup in front of the General, she takes a seat across from him at his desk.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking. You said that there was something very urgent you wanted to discuss?"

James silently looks down at his cup.

"How long has it been since you've been under my command, Winter?"

"Eight years, sir."

"And throughout these eight years... we've been through and seen quite a lot. The most recent is that horrific attack on Beacon," James sighs.

Winter can not help but raise an eyebrow.

"Sir?"

James looks up and meets Winter's eyes.

"Given your years of service and based on my personal judgement, you are worthy of my trust. Therefore, I think it is only right that you are told the true reason for why Beacon was attacked. The truth behind everything."

Winter remains silent, but her expression is a mix of confusion and concern.

_'The truth?'_

"Are you at all familiar with the story of the _Seasonal Maidens_?"

Despite the strange question, Winter responds with a slight shake in her voice.

"Of course sir. My... My mother gave me my name, based on that story. But, why such a question sir?"

Ironwood's eyes turn dark.

"That is because it is directly related to the reason why Beacon was attacked."

* * *

***** Below the Academy *****

"That is the Winter Maiden..." Winter mutters. "The Maidens... The Relics... Salem... and even Headmaster Ozpin."

"Trust me," James sighs. "I know exactly how you feel right now. It is a lot to take in at once."

"Sir..." Winter says in a low voice. "Forgive me for being forward, but did you bring me down here because you intend on making me the next Winter Maiden?"

James can not help but crack a small smile, as this is precisely why he trusts Winter. Her straightforward nature.

"I would trust no one more than you to bear the power of the Winter Maiden. But, I won't force you," James replies. "I just simply want you to know the true nature of the war that we are fighting. In addition, it is only fair that I inform you of the risks you take if you choose to inherit the Winder Maiden's powers."

"Sir, I'm well aware that should I choose to take it, I will be targeted by Salem," Winter closes her eyes. "And that my freedom would be greatly limited."

"It is not only that," Ironwood sighs. "There are... certain complications that come from inheriting a Maiden's power."

"What do you mean sir?"

Ironwood takes a deep breath.

"When a woman takes in the power of a Maiden... she becomes infertile. And should she already be pregnant, the child is in grave danger of death or deformity."

Winter's eyes widen in alarm.

_'Infertile? I... will never get to be a mother?'_

Her eyes waver upon hearing this revelation.

Jaune watches silently from the side as this is news to him as well.

_'However, using Raven as an example, one can still safely inherit a Maiden's power after bearing a child. Hmm... I wonder...'_

"You don't have to decide right now Winter," James says softly. "This will be a life changing decision no matter which path you choose, so take some time to carefully think about it. No matter which one you choose, I won't blame you."

Winter tightly clutches her hands as she stares down at the elderly woman.

"General Ironwood. Winter Schnee."

A voice suddenly calls out to them.

The two jolt in alarm and reach for their weapons.

"Who's there?" James demands.

_'How did someone get down here without my knowledge? How is this possible?' _Ironwood's mind races.

The cloaked figure appears in front of them and reaches up to pull down its mask and hood.

"J-Jaune... Arc..." Ironwood stutters with wide eyes.

Similarly, Winter stares with an incredulous expression.

Jaune lightly smiles, then turns towards Fria in her isolated chamber.

"So that is the current Winter Maiden."

"Jaune... what are you doing here. **How** are you here?" Ironwood asks as he slowly lowers his gun, though he does not place it back into its holster.

Jaune taps his feet, isolating the small room they're in, then waves a hand, bringing out a table and tea set.

"Shouldn't we make ourselves comfortable first?" Jaune calmly suggests. "I'll serve the tea."

_'Where the hell did that table come from? That was similar to that girl, Fiona Thyme's Semblance, but this was instant.' _Ironwood recalls one of the students from a previous year.

Ironwood nods at Winter, and they both slowly take a seat at the table.

Jaune chuckles, "You two are rather cautious. That is good."

When he touches the tea pot, it instantly warms up to optimal temperature and the tea leaves are brewed to perfection. He flicks a finger, moving the pot through the air and pouring out the liquid for himself, Ironwood, and Winter. They stare wide eyed at the spectacle.

Neither Ironwood or Winter move for the tea Jaune had poured for them. Ironwood interlocks his fingers on top of the table and stares at Jaune with a serious expression.

"Please explain yourself. This is a top secret national facility. Depending on your answer, I will have no other choice but to imprison you, or worse."

Jaune snorts, "Please, you are in no position to threaten me General. You are already well aware that I've known about the Maidens, Relics, Salem, and Ozpin since we'd first met during the Vytal Festival."

Ironwood narrows his eyes at Jaune's response, but otherwise nods.

"As for why I'm here."

Jaune waves a hand and brings out the messages Glynda had written.

"These are for you."

Ironwood picks up one of the letters and carefully inspects the seal.

"They're from Glynda... I was not expecting a reply for at least another week."

"She figured it would be faster and safer if I delivered them directly to you," Jaune shrugs. "Which means that the same applies for your response."

"How? The airspace between Kingdoms is strictly limited right now. This shouldn't be possible."

Jaune leans back into his seat and casually sips from his cup.

"Though Ozpin told you that I am trustworthy, he did not mention as to why or what I am."

"What... you are?" Ironwood cautiously asks.

On the side, Winter is shaken to the core.

_'Isn't Jaune Arc just a student like Weiss? Why is he involved with these secrets that I'd only just learned about?'_

"Yes," Jaune replies. "What I am."

As he says this he floats up from his seat. Then for a brief moment, four apparitions manifest behind Jaune. A dark blue tortoise, a white tiger, a red vermillion bird, and an azure dragon. Ironwood and Winter flinch, as the beasts seem to directly eye them before dissipating.

_'What in the world was that... Semblance?'_

Jaune knowingly smirks at Ironwood's expression.

"These are not Semblances, General."

"Then what is-"

Jaune settles back down into his chair and sips his tea.

"I suggest you two thoroughly read through those letters. Most if not all of your immediate questions should be answered within them."

"... Very well. For the sake of conversation, we'll move on from that topic. Why are you here in Atlas?" Ironwood slowly asks after taking a long breath.

"Information," Jaune responds. "The situation in Vale has been changing for the better in the last week due to the efforts of Glynda and the Council. There will inevitably be some things that can not be conveyed through mere messages, and that is why I am here. To gain a clearer picture."

"What has changed in Vale in the past week?" Ironwood asks with a raised eyebrow.

"The reconstruction of the CCT is finally underway due to the reopening of the southern supply channels."

"The southern roads..." Winter mutters. "But... what about that monster in Mountain Glenn? We've been hearing reports that the entire mountain is continuously spawning Grimm."

"It's been taken care of," Jaune dismissively waves a hand. "No more Grimm will be spawning within the mountain. Additionally, thanks to the season shifting, whatever Grimm that remain will be stuck within the mountains for now. Once Vale has sufficiently recovered, they will be taken care of."

"Does that mean that Wyvern was destroyed?" Ironwood asks in disbelief. "Just... how many Huntsmen casualties in order to do such a-"

"There were zero casualties," Jaune interrupts. "It was a solo mission."

"S-Solo?!" Winter exclaims.

"Just who-" Ironwood pauses, then looks at Jaune with a complicated expression.

"Was it... you?"

Jaune nods, "Yes."

"Unbelievable..." Winter mutters to herself.

"If you do not believe me, then you may be further convinced by Glynda, as I am sure it is mentioned somewhere in those letters," Jaune shrugs.

"What about Ozpin? Were you and Glynda able to find anything?" Ironwood asks almost desperately.

"Currently, there is none," Jaune shakes his head. "Glynda is still excavating the shaft down into the Vault. The answer should become clearer once she is finished."

A look of disappointment flashes across Ironwood's eyes before he deeply sighs.

"For now, Winter and I will have to spend some time to process the information Glynda has sent. In the meantime, what will you be doing?"

Jaune looks up in thought.

"My next priority is Weiss."

Winter's head perks up.

"Weiss? Why?" She asks.

"Yang and Ruby are quite worried for her. As I consider her a friend as well, it is only right that I check up on her while I am in Atlas."

Winter can not help but crack a small smile.

_'Indeed, Beacon was not a mistake for Weiss. She's finally made close friends.'_

"She's... performing at a concert later tonight at the Grand Hall. There should be an after party in the ballroom upstairs, so you might be able to see her there."

"Performing?" Jaune asks curiously.

"Weiss is a rather popular singer in Atlas," Winter responds.

"She'd never mentioned that during her time in Beacon," Jaune responds with raised eyebrow.

Winter gives Jaune a sad smile.

"I am not surprised by that."

_'Hmm...'_

"In that case, I will be leaving now to catch a concert. I will see you two tomorrow."

Jaune takes back the table and tea set, then casually waves a hand behind him before disappearing.

"Winter, I want you to review the security footage to see exactly how Jaune was able to sneak down here," Ironwood says while pinching his brow.

* * *

***** Grand Hall *****

Jaune lazily lays on his side in the air above the stage, silently watching the conclusion of Weiss's concert. His eyes narrow when as Weiss bows, a single tear trails down her cheek.

_'Was that final song referring to her father? As Winter said, Weiss is a rather talented singer, but... there is no joy in it.'_

* * *

"Quite the lovely voice, as usual."

"She's always been a top performer since she was young. It was quite refreshing to see her again on stage."

In a corner of the large ballroom, Jacques can be seen conversing with several businessmen, while Weiss politely stands beside him wearing a practiced smile.

"That is exactly my point. We offer Faunus the exact same wages as the rest of the mining staff. Their arguments are completely invalid," Jacques waves a hand.

"Well, isn't the bigger issue our society as a whole? The economic disparity between central and outer Atlas can not be denied, as well as the general difference in treatment to those Faunus," one of the businessmen point out.

"Of course there's a disparity," Jacques scoffs. "But are any of them starving to death? Their wages are able to provide for their families as well as giving them the opportunity to afford additional luxuries. For anyone to suggest that they are suffering is ridiculous."

Another businessman nods in agreement.

Weiss mentally sighs in boredom as she listens to this conversation. As she slowly scans the room, she notices a large painting at the end of the ballroom. Politely excusing herself, she walks over to the large painting depicting Beacon Academy.

Her eyes glaze over as she reminisces of her days in Beacon with her friends. She mentally snorts, remembering the random antics of Ruby and Yang that caused her endless headaches. Thank the gods that Blake is relatively normal compared to them.

"It's beautiful. You two match," a male voice interrupts her thoughts.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she glances to her side at the gaudily dressed teen.

_'Ugh...'_

"That was my attempt at breaking the ice. How am I doing so far?" He smugly asks.

"You leave much to be desired," she bluntly responds.

"Ouch. Well, I've always appreciated honesty. My name's Henry. Henry Marigold," the boy chuckles.

"Weiss Schnee."

"Of course I know who you are. Your performance was wonderful."

Without bothering to respond, Weiss turns her attention back towards the painting.

"Are you thinking about buying it?" He continues to ramble.

"No."

"Yeah, I guess it's pretty pricey for just a painting," Henry shrugs. "I'd understand the price if it was Atlas Academy instead."

Weiss's eyes slightly narrow.

"It is for charity," she slowly responds.

"For Vale? Why? What's the point?" Henry raises an eyebrow.

"Leave," Weiss commands in a chilling tone.

"What? Why?" Henry demands.

"Leave, or I will call security to escort you out."

Henry's face turns ugly.

"Look here you-

He reaches out to grab her arm, but before he could do so, a hand clamps down onto his wrist.

Both Weiss and Henry look up at the newcomer. A tall young man with short brown hair and black eyes.

"Assault is a serious crime," the newcomer smiles.

A vein appears on Henry's temple as he tries to pull his hand out from the newcomer's grip.

"Let go!" Henry growls.

"As you wish."

Henry rubs the wrist with his other hand. As he turns to leave, he growls under his breath.

"Arrogant bitch. And you... You better watch your back."

Weiss sighs as Henry storms away, then glances up at the young man.

_'He vaguely reminds me of someone.'_

"You did not have to do that. He is a moron, but he is also a student from Atlas and the son of one of the Council members."

"Yet you pretended to not recognize him?" He chuckles.

"I try to keep tabs on high profile individuals, and I'd rather not entertain a buffoon like him," Weiss sighs.

"I see," he lightly smiles, before looking over the painting.

"Apparently, this painter has never been to Vale or Beacon," he comments after several moments.

Weiss raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

"And what makes you say that?"

"The focus is all wrong. The artist has expended far too much effort into the Academy buildings and the CCT, rather than the campus as a whole," he responds. "The unique charm of Beacon is the abundance of nature. The vibrant trees in the courtyard. The songbirds. The forest that surrounds the school. None of that was captured in this painting. What a shame."

_'Is he some kind of art expert? Or is he faking it to flirt with me? Though... I can agree with the points he's making.'_

"So, are you a painter?" Weiss asks.

"Hardly," he chuckles. "But I'd like to think that I have a keen eye for these types of things."

The shrill voice of a woman suddenly echoes throughout the ballroom.

"The man in that image deserves every award possible for giving those animals what they deserve! Don't you agree, honey?"

The surrounding guests glance at each other and shift uncomfortably.

_'Image?'_ Weiss wonders.

"Didn't a name get released? What was it again? Jaune Arc? I'd personally give him a medal if I could," the woman obnoxiously declares.

"Jaune?" Weiss repeats, surprised. "Just what does Jaune have to do with anything?"

She glances at the guest beside her, and is startled by his cold eyes as he glances towards the loud woman.

The woman in question suddenly freezes as a deathly chill runs down her spine. She suddenly feels as if death itself is breathing down her back and her legs gives out from underneath her due to the irrational fear.

"H-Honey?" The woman's husband asks, startled.

With quivering lips and trembling limbs, the woman barely manages to stumble onto her feet with the help of her partner and quickly leaves the ballroom. The other guests briefly mutter amongst themselves about the strange incident, but quickly revert back to their previous conversations.

_'I could feel the pressure even though it was solely focused on that woman,' _Weiss looks at the man beside her with some interest.

"If you're not a painter, then you must be a Huntsman?" Weiss asks.

"Who knows?" He smiles.

Weiss resists the urge to twitch her eyebrow.

_'Who else would know other than you?!'_

"In either case, I'd say that you've done everyone in here a favor by shutting her up. She's always been rather loud."

She holds out her hand.

"Weiss Schnee. May I have your name?"

He glances at Weiss's outstretched hand with an amused look. Finally, he lightly clasps the ends of her fingers between his thumb and index.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Weiss Schnee."

"And your name?" Weiss asks, feeling slightly annoyed.

He takes a moment to think.

"Shan."

_'Did... did he just... Nevermind.'_

Weiss forces a smile.

"It's... a pleasure meeting you, Shan."

She glances past him, then lightly sighs to herself.

"It is time for me to go. Have a good rest of the evening Shan."

"Perhaps we'll meet again in the future," he enigmatically smiles as she walks past him.

Weiss raises an eyebrow at that comment, then puts on a practiced smile as she makes her way back towards her father.

* * *

***** Weiss's Room *****

"You insulted me during the final act of the concert," Jacques bluntly states.

Weiss says nothing in response and does not break her gaze from her father's scrutinizing eyes.

Jacques' eyes narrow before lightly smiling.

"... It would seem that allowing you to go to Beacon wasn't a complete waste of time after all. You've finally grown a spine."

Weiss involuntarily flinches at his smile, then grits her teeth.

"And you forcibly took me away. Beacon is my home."

"No," Jacques shakes his head. "As we've discussed multiple time. _th__is_ is your home. In Atlas."

"That doesn't mean that you can just-"

"I can and I will," Jacques cuts her off. "I am your father and I will do what I must for the family's best interests."

"Always spouting family this and family that," Weiss retorts. "But at what expense?"

"That's enough," Jacques coldly says. "Are you referring to the treatment of the Faunus? Those filth were responsible for the attack at Beacon, proving to the world that they can not hold their own. I'd expect you of all people to know exactly what those White Fang and their ilk have done to us. Or have you somehow forgotten during your time in Beacon? Honestly, all things considered, I am being incredibly tolerant of them."

Weiss's eyes widen.

"Of course I haven't forgotten. How could you even suggest such a thing?" She whispers in a low voice.

"Then you know that this is not up for discussion any longer," Jacques responds. "For now, you are free to wander about the mansion, but you are not to leave the premises without my exclusive permission."

Jacques exits Weiss's room.

Sadly sighing, Weiss falls backwards into her bed, then tightly hugs a pillow against her chest. She continues to lay there for several minutes, until the sound of the floor creaking causes her to bolt up in alarm.

"Who's there?" She demands as she silently focuses to trace several glyphs throughout her room.

"Did I not say that we'll meet again in the future?" A male's voice calls out.

Weiss reels her head towards the room's windows, finding a shadowy silhouette standing in the shadows. The figure steps out into the moonlight, revealing his face to Weiss.

Weiss's eyes widen in alarm, then she points her index and middle fingers at the intruder, conjuring the glyphs she had traced out. The room lights up brightly from the glow of the glyphs aimed at the intruder.

"Shan, you have exactly 5 seconds to explain yourself," Weiss threatens in a low voice. In the meantime, her mind races on how to escape.

Shan smirks, then waves a hand across his face. His facial features subtly shift. The corners of his eyes become sharper, his jawline and cheeks become more angular, and his nose becomes smaller. Finally, his eyes shift from their pitch black color to a deep aquamarine.

"J-J-Jaune?!" Weiss stammers. Due to her shock, her concentration slips and the glyphs she'd summoned waver before fading away.

Jaune gives Weiss a casual wave, while noting the reaction from her glyphs.

"It's been a while Weiss," he grins.

"What are you even doing here?" Weiss sputters. "How are you even here?! What about your hair? That was you at the ballroom earlier!"

"My hair? Ah..."

Jaune realizes that he is still wearing the wig. He reaches up and pulls it away, releasing his golden blonde hair.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I'll do my best to explain the current state of affairs," Jaune responds as he sits down onto a chair.

* * *

***** After an hour *****

Weiss looks as if she's suffering from a migraine as she rubs her temples.

"Maidens, Relics, Salem, Ozpin... and cultivation," Weiss mutters to herself. "This is all very overwhelming. I hope you do realize that?"

Jaune shrugs.

"Actually... objectively speaking, a lot of your behavior makes sense. Oh gods, I sound crazy don't I?" Weiss sighs. "So was that whole face changing thing related to cultivation?"

"That was merely a parlor trick involving the bending of light," Jaune chuckles. "I can only make subtle changes, so to someone with a keen eye, I would still be relatively recognizable."

"Hence the wig?" Weiss raises an eyebrow.

Jaune nods.

Weiss sighs before looking up at Jaune with concern. "So how are they? And how are you? I'd heard you and Ruby were still unconscious when I was forcibly taken back to Atlas."

"Ruby regained consciousness shortly afterwards, and I am, as you can see, as good as ever," Jaune smiles. "Currently, everyone is undergoing training in order to prepare for the events to come. As for Ruby and Yang... they have their own respective struggles. Apparently, you are in similar shoes."

Weiss flinches, then averts her eyes.

Jaune continues, "I can also see that you have not been slacking in your training. Before, you were not able to conjure that many glyphs at once."

"Well, there's not much else to do here..." Weiss mutters to herself before looking up at Jaune with a serious expression.

"... Jaune? Back in the ballroom, you reacted pretty strongly towards that woman. She mentioned an image and your name. What is that about?" Weiss slowly asks.

Jaune lightly sighs before bringing out his Scroll. After opening a file, he holds it out for Weiss to take.

When Weiss takes a closer look at the screen, she gasps and nearly drops the Scroll.

"Dozens of Faunus murdered by Beacon student, Jaune Arc..." Weiss quietly reads the caption. "Is... Is this true?"

Jaune nods.

"I will not deny that those Faunus were slain by me."

"Why?" Weiss asks with mixed emotions.

"Because CFVY was in mortal danger," Jaune simply answers.

Weiss slightly narrows her eyes at that answer.

_'That doesn't completely make sense... but...'_

Weiss holds the Scroll out for Jaune to take back, then looks down at her clenched hands.

"I... do not necessarily agree with that level of bloodshed. But at the same time... I can understand. To an extent."

Jaune raises an eyebrow, intrigued by such a response.

"Hoh? That is a rather interesting... Care to explain?"

Weiss slightly closes her eyes as she clenches her hands.

"It's obvious that the Faunus in this picture were White Fang members. I was there that night... and I also saw that they had no interest in taking prisoners."

She sighs, "Despite befriending Blake and learning more of the Faunus struggles from her perspective, I can not hold any positive opinions towards the White Fang. After all, they've taken a lot from the SDC... and from my family."

She finishes with a wavering tone. Her head snaps up and her eyes locks onto Jaune's. A mixture of rage and sorrow swirls within them.

"12 years ago, one of our cargo ships was attacked. There was nothing left except the burning debris. There were no survivors, and... my mother was the one escorting that ship."

Her hands tightly clench the bed sheets.

"Up until 12 years ago, my mother was the public face and spokesperson of the SDC, while my father dealt with the business side of things in the background. You may be surprised, but we functioned like an actual family back then. After... After that incident, father took full control of the SDC and eventually turned it into what it is today. Turning increasingly distant... and colder."

"Was it the White Fang?" Jaune asks.

Weiss quietly shakes her head.

"Back then, the leadership of the White Fang was peaceful. My mother was working towards coming to a peaceful agreement with them, but I guess the violent radicals had different ideas. After her passing, the old leadership of the White Fang subsequently stepped down, and those same violent radicals basically took over the group. Eventually, Winter escaped to the military, unable to cope with our father and the memories within this mansion."

"And you came to Beacon for similar reasons?"

Weiss nods.

"Would you like to come back with me to Vale?" Jaune asks.

She pauses before looking into Jaune's eyes with a complex expression.

"This city... I hate this city. Like you must have seen in that ballroom, everyone is fake. Superficial. Despite the smiles, fancy clothes, and expensive food... I was never happy here. Not for the last 12 years," she quietly whispers. "I want to leave. Take me with you. Beacon is where I belong now, and I won't sit here doing nothing while my friends are risking their lives. Not if I can help it."

Jaune gives her a small smile.

"Very well. I will return when it is time to leave. Prepare what you need to in the meantime."

After Jaune disappears, Weiss hugs her knees against her chest and falls to her side on the bed, silently contemplating.

* * *

***** Council Meeting Hall *****

"I am telling you that refusing aid to Vale is a mistake," Ironwood retorts. "Have you all already forgotten that it is _our_ AK-200s that caused a large portion of the devastation to Vale?"

"General, _you_ are the one who took Atlas' military to Vale," one of the councilmen replies.

Ironwood's eyes narrow.

"And that was approved by the Council."

"Wasting resources on another Kingdom when a crisis like that can strike Atlas at any time is foolish. Though our AK-200s were compromised, the fault still falls upon Vale for failing to prevent the attack in the first place. Their defense of their CCT was laughable," a councilman scoffs.

"A single person took out 36 highly trained guards! How could such a thing have been predicted by anyone?" Ironwood raises his voice.

One of the elderly members knocks his table with a mallet.

"Order! We will put it through a vote to settle this matter. Those in favor of sending aid to Vale?"

Ironwood, as well as 4 others raise their hands.

"Those opposed?"

The remaining 7 hold up theirs.

"With General Ironwood's 2 seats, there are 6 in favor of sending aid while 7 are opposed. I believe that this conversation is over, General."

The mallet slams down, signifying the end of the session.

Ironwood grits his teeth with his hands ball into tight fists.

The four council members who sided with him walk up.

"General," councilwoman A sighs. "It can't be helped if it does not pass the vote."

"In the past, those seven all heavily advocated the strengthening of relations with the other Kingdoms. Just what is going through their minds at the moment, I haven't the slightest clue," councilman B states.

The remaining two council members nod.

"Regardless, I appreciate and highly value your support. Perhaps if I push a little harder, one of them will finally budge on their stance," Ironwood tiredly sighs.

The four nod.

"We are on your side, General."

* * *

***** Ironwood's Office *****

Ironwood collapses into his office chair, while Winter quietly serves him some tea.

"Those damn old fools," he groans.

"General," Winter says with concern. "Based on the information provided by Glynda Goodwitch, this situation can not go on forever."

"I know Winter. There is always the option of declaring martial law... but that is a last resort I hope I never have to use."

Winter solemnly nods.

"You didn't visit your sister during the concert last night? You should have had time to at least see her during the after party."

Winter lightly sighs," You know that it is complicated sir."

"Jacques," Ironwood mutters. "I am preaching to the choir, but that man has changed drastically from the one I knew all those years ago."

All Winter can do is silently agree in the back of her mind.

"Those seven council members are concerning."

Jaune's voice suddenly cuts through the silence.

Ironwood and Winter jolt when they see Jaune standing right beside them.

"When did you get here?" Ironwood asks.

"I've been present since your meeting with the Council," Jaune responds.

Ironwood's eyes briefly widen, then he sighs, "Is that part of your... cultivation power?"

Jaune nods.

"What do you mean by concerning?" Ironwood asks.

After a moment of silence, Jaune asks, "Are there any known Grimm species that parasitically control their hosts?"

Ironwood is taken aback.

"Not that we are aware of... Such a thing would be-"

He looks at Jaune in realization and horror.

"Are you saying..."

"There is something latched onto their brains," Jaune replies. "It is a safe bet to assume that it is Salem's handiwork."

"Assuming what you're saying is accurate, just how long have they been..." Winter mutters.

Ironwood grits, "Now we have no idea just how compromised the security of Atlas is. We must now assume that any information available to Council members is within Salem's grasp. It would explain why the virus planted by Cinder Fall slipped through our systems so easily."

"If the parasites are destroyed, Salem will likely be alerted," Jaune says. "One factor common between all seven of them is that none of them have their Auras unlocked. Perhaps these parasites can not easily survive under the pressure of Aura."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Ironwood asks. "What if these parasitic Grimm are spread throughout the rest of Atlas?"

"Quietly prepare to counter Salem's next move," Jaune responds. "Salem is not an idiot as having a mass number of hosts would increase the chances of these Grimm being discovered, while giving her no real benefit. Rest assured, so far, I've only sense those seven with the Grimm attached to them. Additionally, unlike Haven, the vast majority of the Huntsmen that graduate from Atlas Academy end up enrolling under your military. Therefore, the Council has little influence over them."

"Haven... Glynda mentioned that in her message," Ironwood lowly mutters. "I... don't want to believe it. That Leo is a potential traitor. However, the evidence outlined by her is impossible to ignore."

"At the moment, Qrow is in Anima, verifying these suspicions" Jaune says before narrowing his eyes. "And I suspect that he's already found his answer."

Ironwood leans back into his chair and deeply sighs, "Then for now, we wait. We wait until the time is right and when everything comes together, we strike."

Jaune smirks, "So you learned your lesson from Beacon."

"It was a costly one," Ironwood lowers his head. "And one I hope to never make again."

"The Vault under Haven can not be opened without Spring. Shouldn't we be searching for Spring? She's been missing for the last 17 years, and because Salem has not made her move, it is safe to assume that she does not have Spring either?" Ironwood mutters.

Jaune chuckles, "You don't need to worry about Spring."

Ironwood's eyes widen.

"So... you know where she is? That's great news! Where?"

"In all due time General," Jaune replies. "All you two need to know is that you should not be concerned with Spring."

"If you're aware of Spring's status... then what about Summer?" Ironwood asks. "She's been missing for a very long time as well."

"Unfortunately, I am in the same position as you are when it comes to Summer," Jaune shakes his head. "While we bide our time, you know what to do, right?"

"I'll play along with their games for now," Ironwood nods.

"As for the current Winter maiden..." Jaune mutters. "If I had to guess, I'd say that she has about a year left so long as she does not expend her energy."

"I see... a year," Ironwood sighs. "I suppose that's better than nothing. How much longer will you be staying in Atlas?"

"It is about time for me to return to Vale. I suggest you have everything you want delivered to Glynda by the time I return later today. Meanwhile, I'll be picking up Weiss."

"Weiss?" Winter raises her eyebrow. "Didn't you already check on her yesterday?"

Jaune gives her a small smile.

"She is aware of your little secrets, and given this information, she wishes to return to Vale."

"You... told her?" Ironwood's gaze turns stern. "This is very sensitive information you're just handing out. I hope you know what you're doing."

"She's not ready," Winter says with narrowed eyes. "She's lucky that she got out of the Beacon attack alive. What are you thinking getting her involved in all of this madness?"

"Just as the General trusts you, I trust Weiss, along with her friends," Jaune coolly responds. "Whether you like it or not, she was involved with this war as soon as the Academy was attacked."

As Winter is about to retort, Ironwood raises a hand, cutting her off. He stares intently at Jaune for a moment, before sighing to himself.

"Given what Glynda has described, I believe that you are more than capable. Do as you wish."

"Be ready with whatever you need to prepare by the time I return," Jaune nods before disappearing from their sights.

"Sir..." Winter says in a low voice. "No matter what, Weiss is still my younger sister. To get her involved..."

"I know Winter," Ironwood replies. "Actually... I may have an idea to put your mind at ease."

* * *

***** Weiss's Room *****

"Are you ready?"

"I think so," Weiss nods as she secures Myrtenaster to her hip. She takes a final look at the letter on top of her desk before turning towards Jaune.

"Let's go."

Jaune places a hand on Weiss's shoulder, then gives her a small grin.

"Try not to scream."

Without further warning, they soar out from Weiss's window and stand high above the Schnee mansion.

Weiss tightly hugs Jaune around the waist, fearing she would fall should she let go.

"You can let go. You won't fall," Jaune assures.

Very slowly, as her heartbeat calms, she carefully pries her hands away to discover that she is standing in midair, thanks to Jaune's divine sense.

"This is... very unnerving," Weiss shivers.

Jaune chuckles, then orients them towards Atlas Academy.

"One final stop and we'll be on our way to Vale."

* * *

***** Ironwood's Office *****

"Winter!" Weiss calls out excitedly.

Winter gives her sister a smile, before lightly frowning.

"Weiss, you're in the presence of the General. Behave yourself."

"Uh r-right," Weiss quickly replies and straightens her clothes. She politely bows to Ironwood.

"Good evening, General Ironwood."

Ironwood can not help but chuckle, "There's no need to tease your sister like that Winter."

"You have everything ready?" Jaune asks.

Ironwood nods, then hands Jaune a memory chip.

"I had my best make an encrypted chip with updated software security. Ideally, this would have been done from the very beginning, but fully analyzing that virus and coming up with countermeasures took some time. Hopefully, Glynda will be able to keep the masses in Vale calm long enough, while I will do what I can here."

Jaune nods, "You of all people should know how capable that woman is."

"Yes, but she tends to overwork herself," Ironwood sighs. "Also, I have something for Miss Xiao Long."

Winter walks over and opens metallic box, revealing a prosthetic arm.

"It's been custom made for Miss Xiao Long and is fully functional. Aside from adjusting to the weight, it should be a perfect fit," Ironwood says.

Jaune makes no move towards the arm and continues to stare down at it. The other three look over in confusion.

"Jaune?" Weiss asks. "Aren't you going to take it?"

With a sigh, he shakes his head.

"No, I don't think I will."

"Why not? By regaining her missing limb, she will no longer be handicapped in battle," Winter responds. "We're not asking for anything in return, so you might as well just take it."

Jaune narrows his eyes, then finally reaches out towards the box. But much to their surprise, he shuts the lid closed.

"I apologize for wasting your scientists' efforts and time, but Yang Xiao Long will not be needing this."

"Shouldn't this be up to her and not you?" Ironwood testily asks.

When Jaune remains silent, Ironwood releases a sigh.

"Very well... if you ever change your mind, it will always be here waiting and ready."

"Weiss," Winter calls out.

"Yes Winter?" Weiss responds with bright eyes.

Winter suddenly draws her saber and points it at her sister with a serious expression.

"If you're truly serious about this, then show me your resolve."

Weiss's eyes widen for moment, before she nods.

* * *

***** Training Arena *****

Jaune and Ironwood stand beside each other on an elevated platform, looking down at the Schnee sisters facing off.

"How do you think it will go?" Ironwood asks.

"In a contest of skill and combat prowess, then obviously, Weiss stands no chance," Jaune bluntly responds. "Winter has years of field experience and many more years than Weiss to have developed her skills with her Semblance. If Weiss somehow gets a solid hit on her, I'll seriously be questioning your ability as a commanding officer."

Ironwood chuckles, "Then I hope you won't be disappointed."

Whilst keeping a serious expression, Winter holds her saber up and gestures for Weiss to attack.

_'I have to show her what I can do.'_

Weiss points swipes her finger through the air and points it at her feet, conjuring a glyph underneath her feet. Quickly switching to a lightning Dust canister, she stabs Myrtenaster into the glyph. A yellow glow envelops her as she comes under the effect of time dilation. After breathing out once to remain composed, Weiss dashes forward.

Winter narrows her eyes and steps to the side while deflecting Weiss's rapier using the side of her saber. As Weiss passes by, Winter slashes at her exposed back. Weiss quickly points to the ground and propels herself into the air with a glyph before Winter's counterattack hits her back.

Whilst up in the air, Weiss's eyes dart back and forth, then waves her hand, creating a multitude of glyphs to surround Winter. Still under the effects of time dilation, she rapidly jumps between the various glyphs, using them as platforms, and stabs out at Winter whenever she passed by.

Despite Weiss moving at blurring speeds, Winter deflects each and every one of Weiss's attacks with ease, never losing track of her location. Her eyebrow raises when Weiss halts her rapid movements and jumps away while pointing her rapier at her. Winter can not help but lightly smirk when the glyphs Weiss had used as platforms glow light blue before firing a barrage of icicles.

_'Good!'_

"Impressive," Ironwood nods. "She injected ice Dust every time she landed on a new glyph in order to follow up from her initial attack."

Large amounts of dust kicks up into the air when the icicles hit. Weiss lands some distance away and slowly breathes out while keeping her weapon pointed and ready.

The dust suddenly blows away, revealing a miniature snowstorm. Winter swipes her saber, dispersing the storm without a single scratch to her uniform.

"You've improved since the Vytal Tournament," Winter bluntly states. "But you're still lacking."

A time dilation glyph appears beneath Winter as well as a glyph right behind her. Using that glyph as propulsion, Winter shoots forward like a bullet, appearing in front of Weiss in an instant.

Weiss gasps as she barely manages to block Winter's saber and gets knocked backwards through the air. Gritting her teeth, she conjures a black glyph some distance away to quickly pull her back towards the ground. Upon landing, she quickly flicks her rapier out towards a rapidly approaching Winter, sending out several hard light imbued glyphs in an attempt to lock Winter in place.

Without missing a beat, Winter slashes the ground with a glyph imbued with rock Dust, turning the tiny pebbles she'd kicked up into fist sized rocks. With another slash, this time with wind Dust, the rocks fly out and intercept Weiss's hard light glyphs. Not giving Weiss the opportunity to throw out another attack, Winter closes the distance and slams the hilt of her saber into Weiss's stomach before kneeing her side.

Weiss coughs as she is knocked to the ground by Winter's melee blows. She stumbles to her feet, breathing heavily, while Winter calmly stands before her.

"Do you really think you're ready? With this level of performance?" Winter asks.

"I'll _be_ ready... when the... time comes," Weiss responds between heavy breaths.

Winter's eyes narrow.

"And how do you know that? You're nothing but a child without even a year in an academy. Do you have any idea how many students never end up living long enough to graduate? Why should you be any different?"

"I... I know I'm still just a kid," Weiss says slowly. "But... I still have my duties as an aspiring Huntress."

Weiss breathes in and looks directly at Winter with fire in her eyes.

"This is my responsibility and desire, and I won't let anyone stop me. Not even you Winter."

A glint flashes across Winter's eyes.

"Then show me," she says, before stabbing her saber into the ground.

A large glyph appears in front of her and a snow white Beowolf emerges.

In response, Weiss closes her eyes and slowly traces her rapier with her finger. Then holding onto Myrtenaster with both hands, she kneels down and stabs it into the ground. From the resulting glyph, the upper half of a large armored knight appears.

Up above on the platform, Jaune silently raises an eyebrow at the scene.

_'The Schnee Semblance carries multiple abilities?... The nature of their Semblance goes against almost all conventional knowledge...'_

While the two sisters remain in their positions, their respective summons charge at each other. Immediately, Jaune narrows his eyes.

_'They can not move due to concentrating...'_

The white beowolf darts to the side, using its superior agility, and tears off one of the armored knight's arms. In response, the armored knight swings its great sword, slashing the beowolf across the chest. The two summons continue to exchange massive blows, until finally, the two destroy each other at the same time.

Weiss collapses onto the floor in utter exhaustion, while Winter strolls towards her, hardly winded.

"Expending so much of your Aura at the beginning of the fight was reckless," Winter says. "But, you did so knowing that unless you did so, you would not have stood a chance. Overall, you did not do too badly, considering my standards."

Weiss smiles brightly at the compliment as she lays on the ground.

"So what did you think Jaune?" Ironwood curiously asks.

Jaune sighs, "That summoning ability is dangerous."

"Ah yes. One of the key abilities unique only to the Schnees. It is indeed fearsome, having the ability to summon Grimm they'd defeated before."

"You misunderstand me General," Jaune lightly responds before he hops down into the arena.

He walks up to Weiss's side, then places a finger onto her forehead, sending a small stream of Vermillion qi to relieve her fatigue from Aura exhaustion. As Weiss blinks and sits up, Jaune looks up at Ironwood.

"I'd like to spar with Winter, if neither of you don't mind."

Both Winter and Ironwood are taken aback, before the General quickly regains his composure.

"I do not mind, so long as Winter is okay with it. But... why the sudden interest?" He asks.

"Consider it a valuable learning experience," Jaune responds. "Besides, you're curious aren't you? You're not completely satisfied with only hearing of my capabilities from Glynda."

Ironwood narrows his eyes for a moment before nodding.

"That... is true. Winter, are you up for it?"

Winter quickly salutes.

"Sir, I can go for another round."

Jaune nods, then picks up Weiss in a princess carry, much to her dismay. But before she could vocally complain, Jaune hops up into the air and flies to the platform Ironwood is on.

"Watch carefully Weiss. Consider this part of your training," he whispers as he sets her down.

Jaune hops down into the arena again and stands across from Winter.

"You may attack whenever you'd like," Jaune says.

Winter frowns at being looked down upon, then brings up her saber. She holds her hand out, conjuring half a dozen glyphs.

"Your glyphs have a fundamental weakness," Jaune calmly states as he begins to stroll towards Winter.

As Winter imbues her glyphs with ice Dust, her eyes widen in shock when her glyphs suddenly shatter.

_'What just happened?'_

"I'd only noticed when I visited Weiss. I'd thought it may have been due to her lack of experience, but after your spar with her, it became clear that is not the case," Jaune continues to speak, ignoring Winter's shocked expression. His arm is outstretched in front of him.

Gritting her teeth, Winter conjures dozens of glyphs to surround Jaune. Almost as soon as she conjures them, they shatter like glass.

"Your glyphs are easily disrupted," Jaune shakes his head. "Whether it be from losing your concentration or..."

Jaune points a finger at a glyph manifesting behind Winter, destroying it like all the others before it.

"disrupting it with foreign energy."

Up above on the platform, both Ironwood and Weiss are watching with incredulous expressions.

Eyes narrowed, Winter forgoes her glyphs and charges at Jaune with her saber at the ready. From his ring, Jaune brings out a wooden stick.

_'Is he mocking me?'_

Winter sends out a flurry of slashes and stabs while quickly maneuvering around him. Sweat drips from her brow as his stick comes up and meets her sword from whichever angle she tries to strike from, all while standing casually in his spot. His stick suddenly weaves through her defenses and jabs her abdomen, knocking her backwards.

_'So much force behind that single blow!'_

She grits her teeth, resisting the urge to cough. As she digs her saber into the ground to come to a stop, she conjures several glyphs along the way. Working as quickly as possible to give Jaune as little time to disrupt her glyphs, she summons a variety of Grimm: Beowolves, Manticore, Ursa, Nevermore, and Sabyr.

As they move to charge at Jaune, she feels a tap of her shoulder. She turns her head to find a wooden stick on top of her shoulder, held by Jaune standing directly behind her.

"As for the summons, you are left completely vulnerable due to remaining stationary," Jaune says before putting his weapon away.

After a look of surprise, Winter sighs before dismissing her summons.

"It's my complete loss."

As Ironwood and Weiss approach them, Weiss asks, "How were able to destroy the glyphs like that? I've never seen or heard of such a thing."

Winter and Ironwood look at Jaune, waiting for his answer.

"It was quite simple," Jaune responds. "When I visited Weiss the other night, her glyphs disappeared the moment her concentration slipped due to surprise. So I wondered, what exactly was she concentrating on? The answer must be her link to her glyphs in order to provide them a stable source of Aura. When a foreign energy is suddenly introduced, as I'd expected, the link to the glyphs are disturbed, thus leading to a rapid destabilization of the glyph."

"That is..." Winter mutters to herself.

"If an observant enemy caught onto this during an actual battle, you would be hard pressed to come out as the victor," Jaune continues. "Though I used qi, as far as I'm concerned, Aura is essentially highly diluted qi. Therefore, it is possible for one with sufficient Aura control to accomplish what I did against your glyphs."

"Do you have a solution?" Ironwood asks.

"This discovery is a benefit to the Schnee Semblance, as they should be able to further improve it," Jaune responds. "However, this will take some time. As for an immediate solution..."

Jaune waves a hand over the ground, sending out wisps of sharpened sword qi to carve out the Schnee glyph. Afterwards, he gestures to the sisters.

"Try using it like you normally would with your glyphs."

With a strange look, Winter steps forward onto the circle and slowly channels her Aura. Surprisingly, her Aura flows naturally through the glyph Jaune had drawn out, and it quickly begins to glow. She retrieves a small amount of lightning Dust, then imbues it into the glyph. Her eyes widen in surprise when the glyph flashes yellow and puts her under the effect of time dilation. She looks up in shock.

"I see..." Jaune mutters. "So the Schnee Semblance is very similar to arrays."

"Arrays?" Weiss asks.

"In the cultivation world, arrays are symbols or objects in a particular formation that grant different effects. These can range from restrictions, manipulation of energy, and all the way to illusions indiscernible from reality. The fact that you are able to utilize your Semblance with a physical glyph means that the symbol itself is integral to your power. This also means that theoretically, both of you should be able to modify the Schnee glyph to greater heights."

"And if the glyph formation itself is what gives power, then by permanently etching it into something, rather than drawing them out with our Aura..." Winter says with widened eyes.

Jaune nods.

"It is as you suspect. The immediate problem of stability would partially be solved due to the array being permanently present. Additionally, you would expend less Aura as the only amount you'd need to use is for the activation itself, not the creation of the actual glyph."

"Doesn't this mean that technically, anyone could use our glyph?" Weiss asks, rather disturbed by the thought.

"General," Jaune calls out. "Why don't you try activating the glyph I've drawn out?"

Ironwood nods, then steps onto the circle. He narrows his eyes in concentration, but no reaction appears from the circle.

"Nothing," he says.

"Weiss, you try," Jaune says.

Weiss steps onto the circle, and as an experiment, attempts to create a hard light glyph as quickly as possible. With almost seamless ease, her Aura flows through the glyph lines, and in the blink of an eye, a hard light glyph manifests in front of her.

"An array is not such a simple thing anyone can use," Jaune chuckles. "I think the Schnees have been misunderstanding the true nature of their Semblance for quite some time. If I had to describe it... perhaps it would be something along the lines of extreme array affinity?"

"And where do our summons fall within all of this?" Winter asks.

"The variety of functions possible through arrays are near limitless," Jaune replies. "The fact your glyphs are easily disrupted is proof that it is only rudimentary. Yet, through the application of various types of Dust, you are able to achieve varying effects. Your so called summons, what do you think is happening between you and your glyph?"

Winter looks down in thought.

"It was always taught to the Schnees for many generations that what we summon are significant foe that we'd defeated in the past..."

"The past," Weiss says lowly before looking up. "Maybe that means... our memories? Significant, meaning memorable. So, maybe our summons are actually a strong memory tied to an enemy we'd defeated, then that is amplified and given form through our glyph?"

Without a word, Jaune walks onto the glyph. Extending his arm out, he channels his qi through the glyph. To their surprise, the glyph glows with an ethereal light and an unknown creature emerges.

"What... He just summoned..." Winter mutters in disbelief. "And just what is that creature? That does not look like any Grimm we've seen or heard of."

The creature that emerged from the glyph has the body of a deer, a reptilian tail, and the head of a dragon with two antler like horns. It bows its head towards Jaune as he places a palm against the creature's neck.

"A qilin," Jaune says with a small smile. "A divine creature you won't find in the mortal realm. Known for their benevolence, wisdom, nobility, and power."

"I thought you said no one else could use our glyphs?" Weiss slowly asks.

"I said that not just anyone could use arrays," Jaune shakes his head as he chuckles. "And I am not just anyone. I'm merely demonstrating that your conjecture is correct. You are indeed manifesting a memory with Aura conducted through your glyph."

The qilin Jaune had summoned purrs, rumbling the air, before dissipating into nothingness. He looks back at the three pairs of wide eyes and claps his hands.

"So, given what we've learned, Winter and Weiss should engrave their glyphs onto a physical object to partially address its stability problem. Meanwhile, both of you will be working on understanding and fundamentally improving your glyph. As for your summoning combat... having to remain stationary while controlling your summons is hardly useful. To fix that, you'll need to do some mental exercises."

"Mental exercises?" Weiss asks with an eyebrow raised.

"Anything that requires you to do two distinctly separate activities at once that both requires precision. For example, writing with one hand, while drawing with the other."

"That sounds impossible..." Weiss groans.

"Difficult, but not impossible," Jaune chuckles. He points one finger towards the ground with both of his arms. With sharpened sword qi, he begins to draw an intricate image of the qilin into the ground, while neatly writing out the Aura Chant with the other.

"See? It's possible," Jaune turns his head towards them and smiles, all the while continuing to draw and write.

_'He's... Isn't that three things at once?!' _They all think.

"Okay, we get your point," Weiss sighs.

_'Glynda was certainly not over exaggerating when she described Jaune in those messages... While he is an invaluable ally, this makes him just as dangerous as an enemy... We can not afford to lose him.'_

Ironwood internally sweats, then jolts when Jaune makes eye contact with him before receiving a knowing smile.

_'Can... he read minds too?' _Ironwood can not help but think.

Jaune waves his hand over the ground, clearing the glyph, drawing, and inscription he'd carved into the ground. He tilts his head towards Winter.

"So...does Weiss have your blessing?"

Winter is caught off guard, almost having forgotten why they were down here in the first place. The last several moments had completely sent her mind spiraling into other directions. She looks down at Weiss's hopeful face.

_'As adorable as always_,' she thinks as she puts on a stern expression.

"In terms of experience and skill, you're still lacking," Winter says. "But... in the last several minutes, I've learned that I am as well."

Winter sighs and her expression transforms to a gentle one.

"You know that I give you a hard time because I know that you are capable."

"I know," Weiss replies with a small smile.

Winter steps forward and embraces Weiss in a tight hug.

"Be safe little sister," she whispers into her ear before turning towards Jaune.

"Take care of her Jaune," Winter requests.

"Of course," Jaune nods before glancing at Weiss. "Are you ready?"

"I was ready the moment I'd left the mansion," Weiss replies.

"Then until next time General. Winter," Jaune lightly bows. Then both he and Weiss disappear from their sights.

Ironwood releases a deep sigh as his shoulders relax.

"I think I can understand why Ozpin chose to work with him. He is both irreplaceable as an ally and utterly terrifying."

"I don't believe that he has any ill intention towards us sir," Winter replies.

"I do not believe that he does either," Ironwood responds. "But... there is no denying that if he so wished, he could likely destroy all of our efforts made up until this point. And that is why he scares me."

His gaze hardens.

"In either case, we have our work cut out for us. Haven... we'll repay our debt to Salem when the time comes."

"Indeed sir," Winter replies with an equal amount of steel in her eyes.


	26. Chapter 26

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to RWBY**

**Note: Kind of a shorter chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it. Currently am working on another story alongside this one, so if you'd like to check that out, it would be much appreciated.**

***** Lake Nimue *****

South of Argus is the largest lake known to the residents of Remnant. The still waters of the crystal clear lake stretches for hundreds of miles across and on certain days, one could swear being able to hear slight of whispers roll across the lake's surface. Most mysteriously of all, some observed that Grimm seem to be less likely to venture near this lake. Thus over time, numerous small villages of both Faunus and humans alike were established along the coastline of Lake Nimue, the residents preferring what they call the divine protection of the lake over the walls of the Kingdoms.

The very center of the lake is covered by a fog that never disperses no matter what time of year or weather. Any who are brave or foolish enough to enter, depending on who you ask, would end up missing for several days, before inevitably, returning to shore on their boats in a daze with no memory of what had occurred within the fog. In the past, the various Kingdoms had attempted to venture towards the center of the lake by air, in the hopes of unraveling any secrets of this lake, but to no avail.

On the northern-most side of the lake is a large research facility hosted by mainly Atlas scientists who are solely dedicated to investigating the lake's mysteries. Though it has been many years since the facility's establishment, very little is known of the lake's center or what causes the Grimm to actively avoid this site if possible.

* * *

A feminine voice quietly sighs out as she opens her pair of aquamarine eyes. She draws her network of chains in upon verifying that no one is near her vicinity. Camellia approaches an inconspicuous area of the forest bordering the edges of Lake Nimue and pokes her finger with a small knife. She flicks a droplet of blood through the air and mutters some words under her breath. The space before her ripples to life as it absorbs her blood, and she quickly steps through the portal.

On the other side of the portal, Camellia steps out onto the shoreline of a small island. Though her expression does not change, her eyes brighten a she breathes in the familiar air of her home and the constant sound of waves breaking along the shorelines. She steps onto a cobblestone path leading up a small hill towards the family mansion, an elegant multi level building accented with tints of white and gold.

A silver haired maid with magenta eyes is standing quietly by the doors, patiently waiting for Camellia to approach.

"Welcome home young miss," she bows.

Camellia nods, "It's good to be back, Argent."

"The Lord and Lady are expecting you," Argent informs as she opens the set of large heavy doors with little effort.

As Argent accompanies her, Camellia asks, "How were things while I was gone?"

Argent lightly smiles, "Lady Luna is reading in the library."

"Ah... as usual..." Camellia nods.

"Lady Iris is currently out performing her weekly duties and will be returning very soon," Argent continues.

"Mmm..."

"Meanwhile, Lady Dhalia and Lady Daisy are taking an afternoon nap after their training. Finally, Lady Lily is... somewhere on the premises, presumably hiding," Argent lightly sighs to herself.

Camellia smiles, "I see... Up to her usual pranks?"

Argent tiredly nods in response before straightening her back and knocking on a set of doors at the end of a large hallway.

"Lady Camellia has arrived," she politely announces.

"Come in," a deep male's voice answers.

Argent lightly bows as Camellia strolls past her through the doors. The room is rather large, but simplistic in design. Most of the furniture and design are distinctly Mistralian, but all are embroidered with the Arc symbol. Sitting behind a large low table are a male and female couple.

The man has a fairly large stature. Though his muscular frame is visible through the loose Mistralian clothing, he is not overly bulky. He sits in a casual manner with a leg propped up with an arm resting atop the knee. His face is chiseled, sharp, and angled while showing very little signs of age. His pearl white pupils contrast his short and spiky black hair.

The woman sitting beside him is the definition of a beauty and maiden. Her slightly wavy blonde hair is as smooth as silk as it splays out behind her like wings. The white and pink robes she is wearing further accentuates her charm, and much like her husband, there is not a single wrinkle visible on her face. She serenely smiles at Camellia with her deep blue eyes that seem to almost glitter within their depths.

"I've returned home Mother. Father," Camellia respectfully greets. Her eyes momentarily glance at the open Scroll underneath her father's hand on the table.

"Why must you always be so formal?" Asher Arc warmly smiles. "Come sit. Join us for tea. You must be tired from your long journey."

Camellia nods before taking a seat across from them. Her mother, Selene Arc, places an elegant tea cup before Camellia and smoothly pours some tea for her.

"Thank you mother," Camellia says before bringing the cup up to her nose.

"I trust that everything went well?" Asher asks.

When Camellia remains silent, he slightly leans forward.

"Can you explain what happened?"

Camellia takes a moment to think.

"As mother had predicted, Tyrian Callows was found in the petrified forest. Unfortunately, I was unable to rescue the Huntress he was targeting, but I also met someone of interest due to that."

"Qrow Branwen," Selene murmurs as she stares off into the distance.

"Yes," Camellia nods.

"One of Ozma's?" Asher mutters with a raised eyebrow. "What happened next?"

"I was able to save his life with the anti-venom I'd prepared beforehand," Camellia replies. "Callows had targeted Qrow Branwen during our battle and I was left with no choice but to protect him. As a result, Callows escaped... again."

"Hmm... it is unfortunate that Callows lived. However, it is good that you saved one of Ozma's. Our family owes him a great debt," Asher says.

Camellia releases a mental sigh of relief.

_'I'm not going to get scolded.'_

"Having said that..." Asher continues. "With your abilities, you should have been able to deal with Callows as well as protect the Branwen, meaning that you were caught off guard. It seems that we'll have to adjust your training."

_'Oh...'_

Resigning herself to her fate, Camellia continues, "I accompanied Qrow Branwen for several days, and during that time, I learned that he has a close relation with Jaune..."

Immediate concern flashes across the eyes of both Asher and Selene.

"Jaune..." Asher mutters. "While you were gone, _this_ has been spreading through the Kingdoms recently."

He slides the Scroll underneath his hand towards Camellia, who peers down curiously.

"Faunus slaughtered by Jaune Arc of Beacon Academy..." Camellia slowly reads. Her eyes widen with shock as she looks back up at her parents.

"Combine tjat with the recordings of Jaune's abnormal performance during the Vytal Tournament," Asher continues with a frown. "That talentless son of ours with a heart of gold... Do you think that he is capable of committing such actions?"

"That is..."

Camellia looks back down at the Scroll before quietly shaking her head.

"Something must have happened during his time in Beacon," Asher says in a cold tone. "Something that Ozma deliberately chose not to tell us..."

"The tides of fate were shifted..." Selene quietly says. Her eyes are glazed over as she peers into the distance.

"So something did happen to Jaune?" Asher asks in alarm.

"Yes... and no," Selene responds before her head droops and falls to her side.

"Mother," Camellia calls out with concern.

Asher gently catches her.

"You shouldn't push yourself. You know that looking too far is dangerous."

"I will do what I must for our son," Selene resolutely responds with glistening eyes. Tears threaten to fall.

"Were we wrong in our decision to sending him to Beacon?... Was I wrong? Just what has happened to our little boy?"

Asher deeply sighs as he consoles his wife, then glances back at Cameliia.

"We're going to need answers. From both Ozma and Jaune."

Selene wearily sits back up.

"Argent," she lightly calls out.

The room's doors immediately open and Argent respectfully stands at attention before Selene and Asher.

"Iris has just arrived from her duties. Please bring her and Luna here."

"Of course my lady."

Camellia looks down in thought before quietly asking, "You planning to send them to Vale?..."

Her hands tightly clench at the seams of her gown.

"If something happened to Jaune and I find out who..."

Camellia's eyes glint with sharp killing intent.

Asher places a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm yourself. We will get the answers we seek in due time."

* * *

***** Outside *****

"Argent? What are you doing out here?"

"Lady Iris," Argent lightly bows. "Master Selene has instructed me to collect both you and Lady Luna."

Iris raises an eyebrow.

"This can't wait? I'd rather take a bath first."

She gestures at her herself, currently covered in armor, with some annoyance.

"I'm afraid it can not," Argent replies.

Iris sighs and brushes her long spiky bangs to the side with a hand. Her armor disperses into the air, replaced by a more comfortable, flowing black robe embroidered with golden leaves.

Argent continues, "This matter pertains to young master Jaune."

"Jaune?" Iris says with a surprised look. "Then what are we waiting for?"

In the library, dimly lit by a single candle, is a girl of petite stature wearing a summer hat. She is quietly tracing a finger across the pages of a large book while seated in a wheelchair. She is dressed in a golden yellow robe that fades to white on the ends with black frills and embroidered with yellow roses.

When she hears the doors of the library creak open, her finger pauses and she tilts her head.

"Can I help the two of you? It is not often both Argent and Iris visit me at the same time."

"Lady Luna. I apologize for disturbing you, but your mother is calling for both you and Lady Iris," Argent politely says.

"Mother is?"

Luna's eyebrows go up.

"It must be something quite serious then? Very well, I suppose my book can wait."

She places the book onto the table in front of her and reaches down to move her wheelchair, but Argent quickly appears behind her to push.

"Please do not trouble yourself with that when I am around, miss."

Luna pouts.

"Argent. I've been telling you for years that I do not want to be babied."

"With all due respect, it is my duty to baby all of you. After all, I've helped the Mistress give birth to each and every one of you," Argent lightly smiles.

"... Fine," Luna relents with a sigh. "And how are you big sister? You are being abnormally quiet. It's weird."

"Apparently mom is calling us because of something relating to Jaune."

"Jaune?" Luna's smile turns into a frown. "Argent, let us go quickly."

* * *

***** Schnee Mansion *****

Jacques is working quietly in his large office with the lights dimmed. In the background, an audio recording of a female opera singer fills the silence.

A rapid series of knocks on his door interrupts him. He removes the audio crystal from the player and carefully places it into a small box before pocketing it with great care. He looks towards the door with narrowed eyes.

"Come in. I expect a very good reason for disturbing me."

A maid rapidly steps inside, out of breath. She clutches a piece of paper in her hand.

"Sir! Miss Schnee has gone missing and this is all that was found in her quarters!"

Jacques eyes widen.

"What?!" He exclaims while jumping to his feet.

He strides over to the maid and snatches the letter from her hands.

"Leave," he orders.

After the maid scurries out from the room, Jacques locks the doors and unfolds the letter.

_Father,_

_I am leaving. _

_As a proud daughter bearing the name Schnee, I can not bear to sit by and watch the current state of affairs of our family. In my eyes, the past glory and prestige is missing and must be restored, so I will do everything in my power to bring them back, using my own methods._

_Truthfully... though you have caused me great pain for the last 12 years, I can not bring myself to place all of the blame on you, because I know that you are suffering just like me and Winter. However, that does not mean that I will continue to condone your actions and methods._

_I am not doing this out of spite, father, but because I believe with all of my heart that this is the right path to take. Please take care of yourself._

_Your daughter,_

_Weiss Schnee_

Jacques hands tremble as the edges of the letter crumples in his hands.

He grits his teeth before throwing the letter onto his desk and presses the intercom button.

"Search for my daughter immediately and send me every single footage from the security feeds! And schedule a meeting with General Ironwood!" He barks.

A hand covers his eyes as he roughly collapses into his chair.

"You foolish little girl..."

* * *

***** Somewhere over the ocean *****

"So Jaune," Weiss asks as they leisurely cruise through the air. "Let me get this straight. The original Jaune, the one I'd briefly met before the initiation, is dead?"

She continues to be disturbed by the concept. Granted, she'd hardly even talked to the teen, but to learn that he'd died that same day is depressing.

"When I took over this body, he was already medically dead," Jaune admits. "Whatever remnants of his spirit remained was absorbed by me, which includes his memories and life experiences. It's rather difficult to definitely answer, so the closest I can say is both yes and no."

"... Doesn't the original Jaune Arc have family? How are you going to explain this to them?"

Jaune frowns, "I am not sure... With the acquisition of his spirit, his family feels familiar to me, yet, they do not at the same time. Until I personally face them, I am not sure how I will react."

"Isn't that a little sad? For both sides..."

"It is what it is, and I will accept whatever the outcome will be," he sighs.

"Is it not amusing? I hold no fear towards death and battle, but when it comes to Jaune Arc's family, I can not help but feel dread and anxiety," he deprecatingly chuckles. "Despite all of my experience, I hold very little to none when it comes to matters like this. Isn't it rather pathetic?"

"I think that just means that you're still relatively normal. It makes you seem less... alien," Weiss replies. "To me, despite all of whatever _this_ is, I am very confident that I can trust you. But the General... I was honestly a little surprised that he let you go."

"That is because he knows that making an enemy out of me is not worth it. At the very least, he is not treating me as an immediate enemy, but a potential one. For the sake of what we need to accomplish at the moment, that is good enough," Jaune responds. "Glynda's backing is also very helpful. Even if I've shown no malicious intentions, he likely sees my very existence as a threat."

Weiss's eyebrow raises with confusion.

"Couldn't you have taken a bit of a more... delicate approach?"

"I can not guarantee that Vale will not be attacked by any of the other Kingdoms in its current state of weakness. If, and this is a very big and unlikely if, Atlas or any other Kingdom decides to capitalize on the situation... needless to say, that would be very bad. It is more common than you'd like to believe. That those closest to you will choose to stab you in the back during times of need or vulnerability."

"Then doesn't that mean you will never fully trust anyone?" Weiss sadly asks.

Jaune glances down at Weiss and chuckles, "Trust is a double edged sword. Thus, it must be carefully grown over time."

As they converse, the northern coast of Sanus appears in the horizon as the sun begins to set.

"We are finally back on Sanus," Jaune says.

"I've always seen this up in the airships, but seeing the view like this without being restricted is something else entirely," Weiss says in awe.

They quietly land in the middle of the forest, and Jaune, with his divine sense, quickly sets up a tent stored in his ring.

"Go ahead and use that to sleep. I will keep watch over the night."

"I'm not that tired yet," Weiss shakes her head. "I'd much prefer to play around with my Glyphs. Ever since your match with Winter, there's been an itch in the back of my mind."

"I see," Jaune smiles. "Then go ahead and do as you wish. If you need me, feel free to yell."

After creating a small campfire, he floats high up above the camp site near the clouds and sits with his legs crossed. His divine sense stretches out to cover several miles around them. He reaches into his storage ring and brings out large quantities of Dust crystals.

_'This is a good opportunity to consolidate my pillars.'_

Jaune stands atop the central pillar in his dantian, surrounded by four columns in the cardinal directions. An icy pillar in the North, a grand tree in the East, a fiery column in the South, and a metallic rod of lightning in the West.

_'There are two trains of thought to tackling the breakthrough into Nascent Soul. Create as many pillars of support as possible, or do as I have chosen to do by opting for a set number and focus on their quality. Along with my central foundational pillar, I will only need these five. I'd much rather have a palace build from superior supports, rather than with numerous flimsy ones. Palaces embodied by the blessings of the divine beasts. There is very little that could trump such a foundation. The alternative mindset of creating many mediocre supports is shortsighted. __Indeed, the breakthrough into Nascent Soul will be relatively easier, but that will be the limit for most.'_

Up in the skies, the pile of Dust is separated into four large groups: Water and Ice, Plant, Fire, and Lightning. Like the stars in a galaxy, the Dust crystals slowly begin to orbit around him, gradually flattening out to a disc. With every rotation, energy from the four groups of Dust is siphoned into Jaune, who meditates in the center.

From below, Weiss looks up at the sight.

_'What is he doing all the way up there?' _She curiously wonders as there seem to be glimmering lights encircling him. _'Is all of that... Is that all Dust?!'_

She does some quick mental calculation to get an estimate on the quantity based on the approximate distance between her and Jaune, then the resulting value in Lien. The conclusion she arrives at causes migraine.

_'Just where in the world did Jaune get **that** much Dust?! That amount could easily buy multiple homes near the center of Atlas!"_

The speed Jaune siphons the essence from the Dust accelerates with every passing second. Sitting atop the central pillar, Jaune directs the energy from the refined dust into the cardinal pillars that devour the energy passed to them with great ferocity.

_'Eat. Eat as much as you all need.'_

As the pillars continue to devour the energy, they begin to pulsate with energy.

_'When the four guardians converge, the fifth will be born in the center. The ruler embodying the union between the Heavens, the Earth, and the Sun.'_

Jaune waves an arm, bringing out a large pile of Earth Dust crystals.

_'The Yellow Dragon of the Center. Everything revolves around the center. Expands and carries the power of transformation, leading to the immortal realms. The cycle of Creation and Destruction become complete within me.'_

_'In creation, Wood feeds Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth bears Metal, Metal collects Water, and Water nourishes Wood.'_

_'In destruction, Wood parts Earth, Earth dams Water, Water extinguishes Fire, Fire melts Metal, and Metal chops Wood.'_

_'There is no need to engrave the Yellow Dragon sigil because I **am** the Yellow Dragon. Come!'_

The Earth essence in the Dust instantly get absorbed through Jaune's head and merges with the central pillar Jaune sits upon. A golden hue shines from his central pillar. Countless lotus flowers the size of Jaune's head bloom in midair and begin to orbit around him.

Ethereal manifestations of the Black Tortoise, Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, and White Tiger appear before Jaune and circle around him while bowing in reverence as the four pillars synchronize with him in the center.

Jaune's eyes slowly open. His aquamarine pupils now shine with regal gold in the center. The literal tons of Dust crystals orbiting him are completely spent, now dull grey and no more useful than rocks. He waves an arm, dispersing them to dust and carried away by the wind.

_'These pillars of support will eventually become palaces, and from the palaces a kingdom will be born. Through the kingdom, the door to the immortal realms will open.'_

He sighs to himself, "I wonder if I will make it..."

He descends back down to the camp site, and approaches Weiss who is currently busy drawing something into the dirt beside the fire. She looks up at him as he nears.

"Before you say anything, where on Remnant did you get all of that Dust from earlier? And where did it all go?"

"Do you remember the Dust that was stolen by Torchwick?"

"... Yeah?" Weiss slowly replies. She has a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I kind of took half of it," Jaune laughs.

"H-Half..." Weiss stutters and does another mental calculation based on the amount of Dust that had disappeared from the robberies.

"Half?!" She yells. "Do you have any idea how much that Dust is worth?!"

"A decent amount?"

"Decent amount?! The amount alone that was orbiting around you could have easily bought multiple large homes in the middle of Atlas! You also haven't answered where all of it went!"

Jaune hums to himself.

"I used them all."

"What."

"For my cultivation."

"The hell..."

"I still have plenty left, so you don't have to worry about anything," Jaune grins.

Weiss slaps a hand over her face, feeling a major headache.

"Okay. Nevermind... Whatever..."

"Anyways, what were you so intently working on?" Jaune asks. "Hmm... trying to figure out a way to stabilize your Glyph?"

Weiss looks down at ground and nods.

"That's the ultimate goal for now, at least. I first need to figure out what makes my glyph a glyph in the first place. It's like I've been using a gun my entire life, but I've never dismantled or tried to understand the internal mechanics of it. If I want to make any sort of meaningful improvement, I'll have to start from the very beginning."

Jaune nods in approval.

_'Smart girl. She knows exactly how to approach this problem.'_

He sits down by the fire and silently observes with a small smile.

"I wonder how all of them are doing in Vale right now?" He mutters.

* * *

***** Vale *****

Yang swerves her head to the side as Neo kicks out at her, then counters with a quick jab. When Neo nimbly steps past it, Yang pivots on her left foot and steps forward with her right, slamming her right shoulder into Neo, who hops backwards while pushing off from the momentum.

"How was that?" Yang asks.

Neo shrugs with an unimpressed look.

"... I guess that's a better reaction than yesterdays," Yang sighs. "The footwork Jaune wrote in here are all distinctly different... and he's saying that I should be compatible with all of them to a certain extent?"

Neo rolls her eyes and jabs a finger at Yang's forehead, getting her attention. She points to her head, then back down at the book, before shaking her head.

"Uh... What?"

Grunting in frustration, Neo flips out her Scroll and types a message before turning it towards Yang.

_"How can you not even understand? Are you an idiot? My message was crystal clear, you idiot."_

Yang's eyebrow twitches.

"Then why don't you just type what you mean to say in the Scroll instead of just ranting about how I can't read your mind?! Did you just call me an idiot twice?!"

Neo taps her Scroll's screen, pointing at the two distinct _idiots_ she'd typed in her previous message, and gives Yang the most obvious "Duh" look in existence.

_"Why can't you understand what I'm saying? Jaune was able to get it pretty much right away."_

"Jaune is a weirdo," Yang blankly replies. "Common sense doesn't apply to him."

Neo sighs to herself while feigning a headache.

_"You think too much, you stupid blondie."_

"I think too much?" Yang reads while ignoring the complimentary insult Neo always adds on.

_"Just do what feels natural. Are you seriously this dumb?"_

Yang thinks for a moment before looking back up at Neo.

"I want to try again."

Neo grins.

* * *

A swirling ball of rose petals dashes back and forth through the air. Between each jump, Ruby momentarily materializes, then quickly disperses into her rose petal form to initiate the next jump. After repeating this about a dozen times, Ruby materializes back on the ground, breathing heavily with sweat dripping down her face.

"Twelve! That's a new record. I'm also used to the re-materializing process now."

She glances across the field at Yang and Neo who are currently sparring.

"I wonder how Yang is doing? That Neo girl is still kind of suspicious, but since Jaune trusts her, I guess I'll just keep an eye on her for now..."

Ruby jogs towards the treeline, finding Ren quietly meditating in the shadows.

"Can I help you with something Ruby?" Ren asks with his eyes closed.

"Actually... yeah," Ruby replies. "I've been wondering if you could give me some advice on meditation."

Ren's eyes open, and he looks up at her curiously.

"Why the sudden interest?"

"It's important for my training," Ruby lightly laughs. "Jaune's been stressing that I have to strengthen my mind and gain a stronger hold of my emotions. Since he's gone, I think the next best person to go for regarding this is you."

"Why don't you take a seat first?" Ren offers.

When Ruby takes her seat, Ren calmly asks, "In your own words, what do you think meditation is?"

"Um... Isn't it about becoming still and quiet while trying to empty the mind? And by doing so, I can gain control of myself and my emotions?"

"Those are some aspects of meditation, but it is not what meditation is all about," Ren shakes his head. "It is not about trying to become a different, new, or even a better person. You meditate in order to gain a healthy sense of perspective. Trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings should not be the goal. Rather, you should be observing them all without any judgement so that you can gain a better understanding of them. I believe that at its core, meditation is the discovery of the self."

"That sounds... a little complicated," Ruby admits. "But I'll try."

Ren nods, "That's all you can do. I have yet to reach a level of understanding of myself that is satisfactory, but it is a journey. However, this is only my perspective. You should ask Jaune for his when he returns."

"Thanks Ren," Ruby sincerely says.

"Of course. It was my pleasure."

* * *

"Very good Miss Nikos," Glynda says. "Continue orbiting the metal rods like that at a consistent speed, and try to spin the individual rods concurrently."

Pyrrha intently concentrates on the half dozen metal rods the size of toothpicks orbiting above her palms. Her eyes narrow as she focuses her Semblance to nudge the rods to spin on the axis of the orbit. Slowly but surely, the rods eventually make one full rotation, before Pyrrha's concentration finally slips and the rods fall into her palms.

_'Though her growth in Aura and intricate Semblance usage was stifled over the years, she is without a doubt a genius,' _Glynda thinks to herself. _'Getting to this point in training took me 2 months, but she's managed to do reach it in under a week...'_

"Please continue to work on this exercise daily until you are able to freely orbit and spin the objects without much resistance or effort," she instructs.

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch," Pyrrha nods. "Am I... doing alright so far? I fear that I may be progressing too slowly."

Glynda's eyebrow twitches at that before sighing, "You are doing just fine Miss Nikos. It has been less than a week since we've started so you can not expect to make huge leaps in such a short amount of time."

"I understand."

"Good. I will be seeing you again after two days. I expect significant improvements by then."

* * *

***** In Vale *****

Yang jogs through the streets, mentally slapping herself.

_'Ugh... I knew I shouldn't have stayed up late. I think Ruby and Pyrrha said that they're headed for lunch with Neo? I wonder if they can even get along. Neo is... a difficult person to keep up and deal with.'_

As Yang rounds a corner, she nearly runs straight into someone. With a quick hop to the side, she narrowly avoids a direct hit, though she still slightly bumps into them.

"Sorry!" Yang frantically apologizes when she realizes that she'd nearly tackled a girl wearing a summer hat sitting in a wheelchair.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah..."

The girl tilts her head down at the dessert she'd dropped.

"Oh crap... Um... I can buy you another one," Yang offers. "That's from the crepe shop down the street right?"

_'What's this girl doing all by herself in a wheelchair? Doesn't she have a guardian?'_

The girl in question turns her head up towards Yang.

"I will take you up on that offer, as that would be very much appreciated."

Yang's eyes widen when she notices that the girl has her eyes closed.

_'She's blind?...'_

"Are you by yourself?" Yang carefully asks.

"Hmm... I seem to have been separated from my sister. I'm sure she'll be just fine," she responds with a smile.

_'... Shouldn't it be you that we should be worrying about?'_

When the girl reaches down to push the wheels of her wheelchair, Yang quickly jogs behind her.

"Let me help you with that."

The girl pauses for a moment before bringing her hands up.

"Thank you," she nods.

While Yang gently pushes the girl's wheelchair down the street towards the crepe shop, she glances down at the girl with a curious look.

"I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Yang Xiao Long," she says.

"Yang Xiao Long... Ah! The one from the Tournament?"

Yang slightly flinches.

"I apologize, but I was not alluding to that particular incident. Overall, your performance stood out during the competition," the girl explains. "As for myself, you may call me Luna."

"Luna. That's a very pretty name," Yang compliments. "So what brings you to Vale? Ever since the attack, it's kind of rare for people to visit other cities, especially the one that was attacked..."

"My sister and I are here for some sightseeing," Luna replies. "It has been quite some time since we've been in Vale."

As they slowly traverse down the street, numerous passersby whisper in hushed tones when they notice Yang.

"Isn't that Yang Xiao Long? The one that ruthlessly attacked that boy during the Tournament?"

"Looks like she got injured during the attack. She's missing an arm."

"Whatever. She probably deserves it."

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Maybe a bit."

"Not to me..."

Yang tightens her grip on the wheelchair's handle. She'd mentally braced herself when she left Patch, but it still hurt to actually hear them. With Jaune currently away from Vale, she can't just hide on Patch like a coward.

Luna tilts her head.

"You are missing an arm?" She curiously asks.

"U-uh... yeah..." Yang awkwardly answers. "Happened during the attack..."

A momentary silence falls between them as they walk.

_'I wonder how Luna deals with this. She has not only one, but two crippling disabilities.'_

"Are you curious about my disabilities?"

_'How did she know? Was I that obvious?'_

"Er... Sorry. It's just... you're confined to a wheelchair, and you can't see. I guess I was just wondering how deal with it since you're worse off than I am."

"You think that I am worse off than you?" Luna innocently asks before putting a finger up to her chin in thought.

"Hmm... Personally, I take great pride in my so called disabilities, as most would call them. I believe that it is all a matter of perspective. While I can not physically walk, my back is straight as I stride through life. While I can not see with my eyes, my other senses are far superior in return, to the point that I can pinpoint every single person on the street we are currently on. To me, these are not disabilities, but merely unique traits that make me up as the person sitting in front of you. They are what makes me Luna."

"... Is that how it is?" Yang slowly asks.

"Yes," Luna brightly nods. "That is how it is."

Yang suddenly begins to chuckle.

"You are strong Luna. Much stronger than I am. Is it strange to say that I am a little jealous?"

Luna lightly laughs into her hand.

"You are rather interesting, Yang Xiao Long."

They stop in front of a crepe shop. Waiting in front of the doors is a tall woman with the same blonde hue as Luna's. Her piercing aquamarine eyes lock onto Luna and Yang.

"Luna, there you are," she calls out. "Where did you run off to?"

Luna lightly smiles, "I merely wanted to explore the streets of Vale. It has been far too long since I've been here."

"And who is this?"

Iris points a thumb at Yang.

"Someone who I'd met along the way."

"Nice to meet you," Yang greets. "Name's Yang."

She puts out her left arm for a handshake.

Iris casually take Yang's hand and returns the greeting, not casting a single glance at her missing arm.

"Iris."

_'So this is Luna's sister. Having seen the two of them, they remind me of someone for some reason...'_

Yang seems to realize something and she quickly flips her Scroll out.

"Uh no... I'm late."

Yang apologetically looks at Iris and Luna.

"I've got an appointment to catch so I gotta go. Here's enough Lien for the both of you to get a crepe. I recommend the strawberry cream with bittersweet chocolate!"

Yang waves her hand as she jogs away.

"It was nice meeting you Luna!"

Luna gently waves an arm at Yang as she runs into the distance.

Iris glances down at her.

"So did you get anything?"

"Like Cammie said, she's rather close to Jaune. She's a good girl," Luna smiles. "Patch is where we want to go next, as that is where she, her sister Ruby, and Jaune currently live."

"Hmm, then let's go get the airship tickets to Patch.".

"There's something important we must do first," Luna responds seriously.

Iris raises an eyebrow.

"Which is?"

"Should I get the strawberry cream with bittersweet chocolate as Yang recommended, or should I opt for the assorted fruits with cream and jam instead?"

"..."

Iris narrows her eyes.

"... The strawberry cream with chocolate sounds good."

"Doesn't it?" Luna brightly smiles.


End file.
